John L. LaMattina

Dr. John L. LaMattina is the former Senior Vice President, Pfizer Inc and President, Pfizer Global Research and Development. In this role, Dr. LaMattina oversaw the drug discovery and development efforts of over 12,000 colleagues in the United States, Europe and Asia. He retired from this position in December, 2007. Dr. LaMattina spent 30 years at Pfizer Inc having joined as a medicinal chemist in 1977. Over the years, he held positions of increasing responsibility for Pfizer Central Research, including Vice President of US Discovery Operations in 1993, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Discovery Operations in 1998 and Senior Vice President of Worldwide Development in 1999. Dr. LaMattina graduated cum laude from Boston College in 1971 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He attended the University of New Hampshire working with Professor Robert E. Lyle and received a Ph.D. from UNH in Organic Chemistry in 1975. He then moved on to Princeton University as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Professor E. C. Taylor. During his tenure as head of global R&D, Pfizer produced new treatments for cancer, smoking cessation rheumatoid arthritis and AIDS. Dr. LaMattina is the author of numerous scientific publications and holds a number of U.S. patents. In addition, he is the author of “Drug Truths: Dispelling the Myths About Pharma R&D” and “Devalued and Distrusted: Can the Pharmaceutical Industry Restore its Broken Image?” He also is a contributor to Forbes.com with his “Drug Truths” blog. Dr. LaMattina has received a number of awards including the 1998 Boston College Alumni Award of Excellence in Science, an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2007, and the 2010 American Chemical Society Earle Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management. Dr. LaMattina is a Senior Partner at PureTech Ventures. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Ligand Pharmaceuticals and the Scientific Advisory Board of Trevena Pharmaceuticals. Dr. LaMattina also serves on the Board of Trustees of Boston College where he chairs the Academic Affairs Committee. Dr. LaMattina lives in Stonington, Connecticut, with his wife, Mary. They have three children. He has had a long history of community activities most recently serving as President of the Board of Trustees of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation and the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.