Therapy Areas: Diabetes
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Names Shetzline as Chief Medical Officer
8 January 2019 - - Michael Shetzline, M.D., Ph.D., will join US-based biotechnology company Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IRWD) as chief medical officer, senior vice president and head of drug development, effective January 28, 2019, the company said.

Shetzline will lead global product development for Ironwood following its planned separation into two independent, publicly-traded companies.

In his role, Shetzline will focus on driving innovation designed to enhance the value of the company's existing GI assets and creating new GI product opportunities.

He will report to Thomas McCourt, who will become president of Ironwood following the separation.

Shetzline is a gastroenterologist and internist, bringing exceptional expertise from more than 25 years in the biopharmaceutical industry and academia.

His track record is derived from his experience in all facets of drug development including discovery research, translational medicine and clinical development across many areas of GI science including functional GI disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, microbiome, rare diseases, and acid related disorders.

Shetzline has been involved in several successful approved drug development programs in the US and globally.

He also has extensive experience in managing collaborations, including serving on the joint development committees for early- and late-stage development ventures.

Before joining Ironwood, Shetzline served as vice president and head of gastroenterology clinical sciences at Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co., where he led global clinical development for all GI assets.

Prior to his role at Takeda, he served as vice president and global head of gastroenterology at Ferring International Pharmascience Center US, Inc, during which he led the largest clinical development program in functional GI disorders.

Before that, he was vice president and global program head, integrated hospital care, critical care and cardiovascular and metabolism, and head of translational medicine GI discovery at Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG.

Shetzline also played a key role on the US GI franchise team supporting Zelnorm while at Novartis. Shetzline had a career within academia serving as gastroenterology programme director and assistant professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in the US.

He has published over 40 full papers and book chapters and acted as a reviewer for a range of medical journals, including authoring a chapter in Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease on Gastrointestinal Hormones.

Shetzline earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at The Ohio State University in physiology and medicine.

He completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship in gastroenterology as well as serving on the faculty as a National Institutes of Health supported physician scientist at Duke University Medical Center.

Shetzline is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is a commercial biotechnology company focused on creating medicines that make a difference for patients, building value for our fellow shareholders, and empowering our passionate team.

The company discovered, developed and are commercializing linaclotide, the US branded prescription market leader for adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) or chronic idiopathic constipation.

Its pipeline priorities for linaclotide include a Phase IIIb trial evaluating its efficacy and safety on multiple abdominal symptoms, including abdominal bloating, pain, and discomfort in adult patients with IBS-C, as well as research into a formulation of linaclotide designed to relieve abdominal pain associated with IBS.

The company is also advancing a pipeline of innovative product candidates in areas of significant unmet need, including persistent gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetic nephropathy, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and sickle cell disease.

Ironwood was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. 
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