Rules-Based Medicine Inc (RBM), today announced that Don Beamish has joined the Company as vice president, commercial development. In this newly created position Beamish will leverage his neuroscience pharmaceutical marketing expertise in leading sales and marketing initiatives to support the intended launch of RBM’s neuropsychiatric diagnostics services.

RBM recently announced the identification of a biomarker panel demonstrating clinical utility for the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Beamish brings extensive experience in sales and marketing from his sixteen year tenure at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. From 2003 to 2006, Beamish served as executive director, commercial operations for the antipsychotic drug Seroquel, leading the cross-functional team that took the brand to over $3 billion in sales. He held the position of executive director, emerging brands from 2006 to 2008, overseeing commercial development of more than 10 potential new drugs from mid-stage research and development to pre-launch marketing.

In 2008, Beamish joined AstraZeneca’s Healthcare Innovation Center as executive director and also served as a core member of the R&D New Opportunities Group, serving in two parallel business development roles simultaneously – one in medical devices/diagnostics for the U.S. business and one in new therapeutic area identification and evaluation for global research and development.

"As we get closer to the intended launch of our adjunctive blood test intended to aid in the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia, we believe this is the appropriate time to invest in building a sales and marketing organization to support our potential diagnostic products," said Craig Benson, RBM chief executive officer. "Don’s demonstrated ability to drive market leadership, his experience in multiple therapeutic areas and his cross-functional leadership skills make him an asset to our team."

Previous to joining AztraZeneca, Beamish held a variety of sales and marketing positions at small and large healthcare companies, including Warner-Lambert Canada Parke-Davis Division, Cyanamid Canada Lederle Laboratories Division and Serono Canada. Beamish received a Bachelor of Science degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
 

Source: Rules-Based Medicine