Certara Appoints Patrick F. Smith to President of Integrated Drug Development

Rhea-AI Summary

Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT) has appointed Patrick F. Smith, Pharm.D., as the new president of Integrated Drug Development (IDD). He succeeds Craig R. Rayner, Pharm.D., who will transition to a role as a distinguished scientist. Dr. Smith brings extensive experience in drug development, particularly in infectious diseases and oncology, having previously served as senior vice president of IDD strategy and innovation. His leadership aims to enhance Certara's biosimulation and quantitative approaches across the drug development life cycle, positioning the company for continued growth.

Positive

• Patrick Smith's extensive experience in drug development may lead to new growth opportunities.
• Dr. Smith's leadership in IDD is expected to enhance client partnerships and innovation.

Negative

• Transitioning leadership may lead to concerns about continuity and experience gaps in IDD.

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT), a global leader in biosimulation, today announced the appointment of Patrick F. Smith, Pharm.D. as president of Integrated Drug Development (IDD), reporting to CEO William F. Feehery. Dr. Smith will lead the Company’s global drug development services team, which creates value for clients across the entire drug development life cycle using biosimulation and quantitative approaches. Dr. Smith succeeds Craig R. Rayner, Pharm.D., who has served as president of IDD since 2019 and will be appointed to the role of Certara distinguished scientist, leading key strategic client engagements and scientific innovation.

“I am excited to welcome Patrick as President of IDD. With his extensive drug development experience, scientific thought leadership, and close collaboration with clients, Patrick is the ideal leader to guide IDD in the next phase of growth,” said Dr. Feehery. “I would also like to thank Craig for his exceptional leadership and accomplishments in the past two years, driving the scaling of IDD and cultivating a high-performing team. I look forward to Craig’s continued contributions.”

Dr. Smith has worked across all phases of drug development with particular expertise in infectious diseases, oncology, and inflammation as well as novel early development program design and applying modeling and simulation to solve critical development problems. He was most recently senior vice president of IDD strategy and innovation at Certara, where he developed the commercial team from the ground up and launched new solutions to meet customer needs. Dr. Smith joined the Company in 2016, as part of Certara’s acquisition of d3 Medicine, which he cofounded.

“I am honored to lead Certara’s IDD group and continue building upon our strong momentum,” said Dr. Smith. “Certara is transforming drug development with modern, innovative technology and deep partnerships with clients. I am immensely proud of the growth we have achieved with our dedicated and talented team and believe that the best is yet to come.”

Dr. Smith holds a Pharm.D. from the University of California, San Francisco and completed his clinical residency at Duke University Medical Center. Earlier in his career, Dr. Smith was U.S. clinical pharmacology lead at Roche for more than 5 years, where he worked in various roles of increasing responsibility in clinical pharmacology and translational medicine. He also served as an associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY.  He has published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet. 

About Certara
Certara accelerates medicines using proprietary biosimulation software and technology to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Its clients include more than 1,650 global biopharmaceutical companies, leading academic institutions, and key regulatory agencies across 61 countries.

Contacts:
Certara Contact:
Jieun Choe
Jieun.choe@certara.com

Media Contact:
Ariane Lovell
Finn Partners
ariane.lovell@finnpartners.com

Investor Relations Contact:
David Deuchler
Gilmartin Group
ir@certara.com

FAQ

Who is the new president of Integrated Drug Development at Certara?

Patrick F. Smith, Pharm.D., has been appointed as the new president of Integrated Drug Development at Certara.

What position did Craig R. Rayner hold before the transition?

Craig R. Rayner was the president of Integrated Drug Development before transitioning to the role of distinguished scientist.

What is Patrick Smith's background in drug development?

Patrick Smith has extensive experience across all phases of drug development, specializing in infectious diseases and oncology.

What impact might Patrick Smith's appointment have on Certara's future?

His extensive expertise and leadership are expected to drive growth and innovation in Certara's drug development services.

When was Patrick Smith appointed as president of Integrated Drug Development?

Patrick Smith was appointed as president of Integrated Drug Development on October 12, 2021.