Braeburn Pharmaceuticals Welcomes Two New Members to its Board of Directors
Princeton, N.J.—December 12, 2017 — Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Braeburn) today announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Jeffrey Berkowitz, J.D., former Executive Vice President of UnitedHealth Group/Optum and CEO of Optum International, and Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative of Rhode Island, founder of The Kennedy Forum, and co-founder of One Mind.
“We are honored to welcome these recognized leaders in healthcare and advocacy, whose deep expertise and insights will add valuable perspectives to our Board as we advance Braeburn’s mission to develop solutions for people impacted by opioid addiction in this country,” said Mike Derkacz, President and CEO of Braeburn.
Jeffrey Berkowitz, J.D. is a former Executive Vice President of UnitedHealth Group/Optum where he led Optum’s International division while also driving key strategic initiatives within Optum’s pharmacy benefits management division. Prior to UnitedHealth Group/Optum, Berkowitz was Executive Vice President and President of Pharma and Global Market Access at the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for pharma relationships, generic and branded procurement, inventory management, specialty pharmacy as well as pricing and reimbursement strategies with all payer segments. Prior to joining Walgreens in 2010, Berkowitz served as an executive at Merck and Schering-Plough and as a lawyer with Proskaur, LLP. He has been recognized three times in PharmaVOICE magazine as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Leaders in the Life Sciences.
Patrick J. Kennedy is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his 16-year career representing Rhode Island in Congress, he fought a national battle to end medical and societal discrimination against mental illness, addiction and other brain diseases, highlighted by his lead sponsorship of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. After leaving Congress, he founded The Kennedy Forum, which leads a national dialogue on transforming mental health and addiction care delivery, and co-founded One Mind, a global leader in open science collaboration in brain research. Mr. Kennedy is also the co-author of “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details his personal struggles as well as his bold plan for the future of mental health care in America.
About Braeburn Pharmaceuticals
Braeburn is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to delivering solutions for people living with the serious, often fatal consequences of opioid addiction. The company’s mission is to advance a portfolio of next-generation therapies, with individualized dosing regimens and delivery options, to address the escalating disease burden of addiction faced by patients, healthcare professionals, payers and society. For more information about Braeburn, please visit https://braeburnrx.com.
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