Strategic Advisors

Dr. Sager is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist who has held senior leadership positions within the pharmaceutical industry and academia and has played a significant role in the development of metabolic and cardiovascular drugs and cardiovascular safety issues in drug development. He was the ICH Expert Working Group PhRMA Topic Leader on the QT interval initiative (ICH E14), was the Chair of the Scientific Programs Committee of the FDA-sponsored Cardiac Safety Research Consortium (where he is also on the Executive Committee), and recently completed a 5-year term on the FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee, where he was also the Chair of the Committee.

Pharmaceutical positions have included VP, Clinical Research and Head of CV/Metabolic Clinical Development at Gilead Sciences, Chief Medical Officer of CardioDx, a molecular diagnostics company, Executive Director at AstraZeneca, and Director at the Schering-Plough Research Institute. He played major roles in the development of Crestor, Vytorin, Zetia, Ranexa, Letairis, and Brilinta. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Sager was a tenured faculty member in cardiology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He has published over 175 scientific manuscripts and abstracts and completed his BS in Chemistry and Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his MD and medical training in internal medicine, cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Heart Rhythm Society. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Anthera, Inc. and is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.