Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> August 26, 2002
DOUGLAS D. BURKETT has served as President and Chief Executive
Officer of Zila, Inc., since June 2002 and Chairman as of
September 2002. From May to June 2002 he was Vice President and
General Manager-Pharmaceutical and Business Development. From
September 2000 to May 2002 he was Vice President and General
Manager-Zila Technical Operations. From August 1995 to September
2000 he held a variety of positions, including serving as Vice
President of Zila's Innovative Swab Technologies subsidiary from
February 2001 to June 2002; as Vice President and General
Manager-Biotech from August 1997 to September 2000; as Director
of Research, Development and Manufacturing from August 1996 to
August 1997; and as Manager-Research and Development from August
1995 to August 1996. At various points during this tenure with
Zila he has had responsibility for the development of the
manufacturing facility and the refining and production of Zila
Tolonium Chloride, the active ingredient in Zila's OraTest' oral
cancer detection product. The U.S. Patent Office granted Dr.
Burkett three patents (which were assigned to Zila) relating to
the process of manufacturing a pharmaceutical grade of Tolonium
Chloride. Prior to joining Zila, Dr. Burkett was a research
associate from May 1994 to August 1995 with the Cancer Research
Institute at Arizona State University where he collaborated with
the National Cancer Institute in developing efficient techniques
to prepare supplies of new cancer treatment drugs for clinical
trials. Dr. Burkett received a BS in Chemistry from Missouri
Western State College in 1987 and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from
Arizona State University in 1994. Profile
a picture of things as they are now?
Dr. Burkett: Zila got its start in the pharmaceutical business with the
Zilactin
