Dr Zaccardelli has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and joined our board of directors in February 2020.
Dr Zaccardelli led Verona Pharma through transformational growth from a clinical stage to a commercial company. Under his leadership, the Company successfully completed two Phase 3 trials, received its first FDA approval and launched Ohtuvayre™ (ensifentrine). To support these activities over $1 billion was raised, including over $450 million in equity, as well as innovative debt financing. These achievements resulted in Verona Pharma as one of the top performing biotechnology companies on Nasdaq in 2024 based on its 5-year increase of over 700% in market value. Dr Zaccardelli was recognized as Executive of the Year at Scrip’s 2023 Awards.
Prior to Verona Pharma, Dr Zaccardelli served as President and CEO of Dova Pharmaceuticals, a US company developing therapeutics for rare diseases, from December 2018 until its acquisition by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum for up to $915 million in November 2019. Previously, he was Acting CEO of Cempra, from 2016 until the company’s merger with Melinta Therapeutics in 2017. From 2004 until 2016, Dr Zaccardelli served in several senior management roles at United Therapeutics Corporation, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Manufacturing Officer and Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development and Operations. Prior to United Therapeutics, he founded and led a start-up company focused on contract research and held a variety of clinical research positions at Burroughs Wellcome & Co, Glaxo Wellcome, and Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceutical. Dr Zaccardelli received a Pharm.D. from the University of Michigan.
