Robert Ryan

Dr. Robert Ryan is currently the President and CEO of Innova Therapeutics, a company focused on developing innovative therapies for diseases with high unmet needs.

Dr. Ryan has more than 27 years of research/pharmaceutical/biotech experience, spanning the global development process from preclinical through Phase IV. Prior to Innova Therapeutics, Dr. Ryan was the President and CEO of Scioderm, a company he co-founded in 2013. Dr. Ryan led the development of SD-101, a topical therapy for Epidermolysis Bullosa, progressing from pre-IND stage to an ongoing single Phase 3 US/Europe registration study in less than 2 years. Scioderm was the first biotech to receive “Breakthrough Therapy” designation from the FDA. In September 2015, Dr. Ryan led a deal to sell Scioderm to Amicus Therapeutics, with upfront payments and milestones totaling approximately $957 million.

Dr. Ryan’s diverse pharmaceutical career covered senior preclinical, regulatory and clinical activities with Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), UCB, Atherogenics, and Pfizer. In addition Dr. Ryan previously held senior regulatory positions at three of the top five leading CRO’s, PPD, INC Research, and Quintiles. While at Quintiles, Dr. Ryan served as the Chief Regulatory Officer for PharmaBio due diligence team, which was the corporate ventures group that focused on innovative partnering opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Selected investment opportunities resulted in investment in excess of $800 million, with a 100% successful track record on deals completed. Prior to working in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, Dr. Ryan conducted research for several years at the National Institutes of Health's environmental division. Dr. Ryan graduated with a doctorate degree in Toxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is board certified in Toxicology. In addition, Dr. Ryan has advanced degreesin Genetics and Pharmacokinetics.