Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> March 20, 2003
JOE ECHOLS is Chairman of Crimson Pharmaceuticals. He began his career
in the pharmaceutical industry in 1969 after graduation from the
University of Georgia with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. His first
14 years were in sales and sales management with pharmaceutical
divisions of Johnson & Johnson, and he was a member of the original
management team for the USA subsidiary of Janssen Pharmaceutical. The
subsequent 12 years were spent with smaller and startup pharma
companies, both OTC and prescription, in the ophthalmic, analgesic,
gastroenterology, respiratory and related categories; in the capacities
of general management, sales management, marketing, trade relations,
advertising management and international business development. During
this time, Mr. Echols formed the international division for what is now
Axcan Pharma. Since the mid-1990s, he has maintained an independent
pharmaceutical consulting business with his son, involved in numerous
projects in the USA and globally. He was invited to join the Licensing
Executives Society in 1996 and remains active in this organization. In
2001, he formed Aqueous Pharma Ltd., and acquired innovative, patented
technology from Dr. Frank Holly, one of the world's foremost scientists
in the study of the human tear and dry eye disorders. This technology is
the basis for four artificial tear formulations to effectively treat all
classifications of dry eye syndrome, and Mr. Echols is currently engaged
in commercializing these products on a global basis. Profile
Mr. Echols: Crimson Pharmaceuticals is a very new company formed
specifically to focus on therapy for something called dry
