Clinilabs has appointed biopharma executive Laura Shannon as chief executive officer and promoted founder Gary Zammit, Ph.D., to executive chairperson as the specialty contract research organization expands its global capabilities in central nervous system drug and device development.
Shannon joins the Eatontown, New Jersey-based company with more than 30 years of biopharma industry experience. Most recently, she served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer for IQVIA’s U.S. and Canada regional business units, where she led a multibillion-dollar national sales and account-management organization across research and development, real-world solutions and commercial solutions.
Clinilabs said Shannon has held global leadership roles across large and midsize pharmaceutical companies, emerging biopharma businesses and medtech companies. Her experience includes building teams, establishing strategic alliances and driving growth across complex organizations.
“I am deeply honored to join Clinilabs as chief executive officer,” Shannon said. She described Clinilabs as a differentiated, science-driven CRO with specialized expertise in CNS drug and device development, and said she aims to help advance the company’s mission of developing safer and more effective treatments for patients.
Zammit founded Clinilabs with a focus on improving research and development for CNS drugs and devices. As executive chairperson, he will remain involved in supporting the company’s strategic direction and continued expansion.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead this remarkable organization,” Zammit said. He said Shannon’s leadership experience, commercial strategy background and alliance-management skills position her to guide Clinilabs through its next stage of growth.
The leadership transition comes as Clinilabs expands its international presence and seeks to support studies requiring patient populations in the United States, Europe and other regions.
Mehran Ahmed, a partner at InTandem Capital, said Zammit has remained committed to the company’s founding mission and that the investment firm looks forward to continuing to work with him as executive chairperson. Ahmed said Shannon’s operational, commercial and CRO-scaling experience complements Clinilabs’ plans for European expansion.