Mark Gelder, MD ’82, has been promoted to chief medical officer of Elevar Therapeutics, a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company built on the promise of elevating treatment experiences and outcomes for patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options.

Gelder joined Elevar in 2020 as vice president of medical affairs where he was responsible for building and leading Elevar’s global medical organization, setting the strategy for development programs from clinical trials through regulatory filings, new product launches and lifecycle opportunities. In his role as chief medical officer, Gelder will oversee the Company’s clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and preclinical teams.

“Since joining Elevar in 2020, Mark has been integral in advancing our proprietary drug candidates through the clinic and has been a key member of our development team. His medical expertise and leadership will be especially important as we advance the ovarian cancer program for Apealea® (paclitaxel micellar) and as we move rivoceranib (apatinib) from the clinic towards potential regulatory approval as a new treatment option for some of the largest unmet medical needs in oncology,” said Alex Kim, chief executive officer of Elevar. “Mark has the leadership, track record, and breadth of experience that uniquely position him for this role. I look forward to our continued close partnership in this next phase of Elevar’s evolution.”

Gelder brings more than 35 years of clinical development, medical affairs and medical marketing experience including 17 years of global medical affairs experience leading therapeutic oncology programs for companies such as Pfizer, Wyeth and Bayer, where he was involved in the approval and launch of several cancer therapeutics. He has led successful global trials, launch plans and Phase I-Phase IV studies for several emerging oncology organizations and has been instrumental in the approval and launch of numerous oncology products. Prior to his work in the biopharmaceutical industry, Gelder was an investigator in multiple clinical trials and has authored numerous scientific papers in the areas of women’s health and oncology.

Gelder earned his medical doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed his residency training internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology followed by a gynecologic oncology fellowship. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has extensive clinical experience in both the academic and private practice settings.