Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> October 14, 2002
DOUGLAS J. RINGLER is co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer
of TolerRx, Inc. Dr. Ringler has over 17 years of experience as an
academician, scientist and executive in biomedical research focusing on
the research and development of therapies designed to alter
immunological responses. Dr. Ringler received his undergraduate and
graduate training at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated
with a Bachelor's degree (summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) in 1979
and with a Veterinary degree (VMD) in 1983. He then did his postdoctoral
training as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School until 1987.
Subsequently, Dr. Ringler joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School
as an Instructor in 1987 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1988
and Associate Professor in 1992. Administratively, Dr. Ringler became
Chairman of the Division of Comparative Pathology, Harvard Medical
School in 1990, where he was granted significant NIH support and built
an internationally recognized research team of approximately 20
individuals investigating the mechanisms of immune responses and
inflammation secondary to retroviral infections. He is the author of
numerous patent applications and well over 100 scientific papers and
abstracts. In 1993, Dr. Ringler became one of the founding scientific
and executive members of LeukoSite, Inc., in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
At LeukoSite, Inc., Dr. Ringler oversaw Preclinical Development,
Manufacturing, and Laboratory Operations for the company as its Vice
President, Pharmaceutical Development until August 1998. Prior to this
position, he was Senior Director of Preclinical Development and Director
of Experimental Therapeutics. At LeukoSite, Inc., Dr. Ringler was
responsible for all activities bridging laboratory bench work with
clinical assessment. As such, he was responsible for all early research
and development efforts involving animals and biologic manufacturing
issues. These responsibilities included preclinical and manufacturing
regulatory submissions in support of multiple IND and CTX applications
in North America and Europe and one successful manufacturing licensing
BLA application to the FDA for CAMPATH'. In his roles at LeukoSite, Dr.
Ringler reported to the CEO and Chairman of the Board. Profile
Dr. Ringler: The company was founded in mid-2000 and began operations in
November, so we have been in business for almost two
