Dendreon Appoints New CEO

Biotech firm Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC in Seal Beach named Jason O’Neill its chief executive officer. He started June 1. 

“My experience developing successful growth and market entry strategies is a timely addition to the company,” O’Neill said in a press release. 

The appointment comes as Dendreon seeks to “expand access to the life-extending benefits of Provenge,” an FDA-approved immunotherapy that treats prostate cancer.

O’Neill most recently served as chief executive officer at Iridium Therapeutics, an early-stage pharmaceutical company developing improved therapies for breast cancer. 

He also led Paris-based Sanofi’s oncology portfolio, which included Taxotere, the most widely prescribed chemotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer, for nearly 6 years and served as global therapeutic area head for immunology and ophthalmology at Roche.

Dendreon on May 17 said it would use a phased approach to bring its employees back to work and protect its ability to supply Provenge amid the pandemic.