The University of Florida College of Pharmacy has named two experienced executives in the pharmaceutical industry as its inaugural members of the Drug Delivery Program Advisory Board. Vincent Ling, Ph.D., the senior director of drug delivery technologies in the Center for External Innovation at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Michael Riebe, Ph.D., a recently retired vice president of inhalation product development at AstraZeneca, have accepted positions on the board.
Ling has more than 30 years of experience working in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. He has held leadership and executive positions with the Genetics Institute, Adnexus, Dragonfly Sciences, Neurotech Pharmaceuticals and most recently Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Ling’s impact on the industry is underscored by his dozen patents and applications as well as his authorship of over 40 publications. Additionally, he holds a courtesy assistant professor appointment in the UF College of Pharmacy.
Riebe has more than 30 years of experience working in both large and small pharmaceutical companies with a focus on drug delivery combination products. In his role at AstraZeneca, he was responsible for more than 300 employees at six international sites and managed a budget of $55 million annually. During his career, Riebe has worked for several major pharmaceutical companies and secured 12 U.S. and international patents. He currently serves as a board member at Respira Therapeutics and was previously a board member at Satsuma Pharmaceuticals.
The Drug Delivery Program Advisory Board was established to provide UF College of Pharmacy Ph.D. students with high-quality training opportunities, professional development, career advice and connections to internships. Board members will interact with the UF Office of Technology Transfer and the UF Innovate venture capital programs to explore technology licensing opportunities. In addition, they will consult with students and serve on student committees for thesis-qualifying exams and dissertations.