Former Pharmaceutical Industry Veteran to Join Alerje’s Advisory Board
In the MedTech industry, it takes a village to raise a startup. We’re happy to have Dr. Will Waterfield’s over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to Alerje as an advisor. Here’s a bit on why he chose to join:
“Throughout my career in the pharmaceutical industry I always looked forward going to work and being part of talented teams that developed and licensed medicines and vaccines that had huge impact on improving public health. Being able to help save children’s lives was immensely rewarding.
I am now equally excited being added to Javier’s Alerje team to help develop a miniaturized version of an epinephrine delivery device attached to another device that folks never leave home without — smartphone. There will be technical challenges to overcome but the benefit of this delivery device ensuring the drug is always close at hand and the personal rewards make the effort worthwhile.”
About Dr. Will Waterfield:
Dr. Will Waterfield began his professional career with Lederle Laboratories (Pearl River, NY) in the Recombinant Oral Polio Vaccine Group. A key objective involved sequencing the genomes of the three polio serotypes to identify the molecular basis for attenuation of the Sabin strains. In 1993 he became department head for Vero Cell Vaccine Production for the Inactivated Polio Manufacturing. In 1995 his responsibilities were expanded to include directing licensed GMP operations of Tetanus, Diphtheria, PNU-IMUNE, Tuberculosis Tines, Pneumo-Conjugate and glassware. He led the demolition of the Inactivated polio Vaccine (IPV) facility and then led the design, construction, start-up, commissioning and licensure of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar) facility in the IPV facility footprint at Pearl River. Will directed commercial operations of Prevenar polysaccharide manufacturing at Pearl River until 2002. Prevenar is indicated for infants and children against disease caused by Streptococcus pneumonia, including pneumonia, otitis media, bacteremia and meningitis.
In 2002 he left commercial operations to remediate the Prevenar supply chain. As a result of the FMEA analysis he created the Manufacturing Science and Technology (MSAT) groups at all sites involved in Prevenar Manufacturing. Each MSAT group is equipped with pilot and bench scale laboratories dedicated to commercial operations that include both Drug Substance and Drug Product. In 2002 Technology Services (validation) and Facility and Process Engineering were added to his responsibilities. MSAT supports commercial operations for complex investigation, as well as representing Operations during Board of Health inspections.
American Home Products purchased Lederle Laboratories in 1994. After selling off many product lines AHP became Wyeth in 2000. In 2010 Pfizer concluded the purchase of Wyeth. Soon after the purchase concluded Pfizer decided to sell the Pearl River site and ceased all commercial operations. Prevenar polysaccharide manufacturing was transferred to the Andover, MA location. Closing the Pearl River site resulted in the elimination of the Pearl River MSAT organization.
From 2012 until his departure in 2018 he focused on New Technology and Innovation attempting to identify and implement best in class and next in class technology. In 2016–2017 he created NextGeneration Manufacturing Technologies for all of Pfizer: API, Solid Oral Dose, Small Molecule, Packaging, Bios Drug Substance and Drug Product. NextGen is a business process to engage colleagues, identify process pinch points and evaluate technology aimed at process remediation.
About Alerje:
Alerje is building an “Treatment x Lifestyle” IoMT platform to improve the overall quality of life of those affected by food allergies.
