(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer announced today that it has named Mace L. Rothenberg, M.D. as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs for its Oncology Business Unit. Dr. Rothenberg comes to Pfizer from Vanderbilt where he was Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ingram Professor of Cancer Research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

In his new role, Dr. Rothenberg will be responsible for overseeing clinical research and development activities as well as post-marketing evaluation and monitoring for all oncology products. He will also coordinate evaluation of anticancer compounds that emerge from Pfizer’s new Biotechnology and Bioinnovation Center as well as evaluate potential in-licensed products from outside sources.

“We are delighted that Dr. Rothenberg will be joining Pfizer’s Oncology Business Unit and are confident that his unique background and experience will play a pivotal role in the development of more innovative drugs,” said Garry Nicholson, senior vice president, general manager of the Oncology Business Unit. “As we continue to progress in oncology, our primary focus is on advancing science so that we can address the unmet medical needs and bring medicines to patients faster.”

Dr. Rothenberg has been active in clinical-translational research in oncology for more than 20 years. He has been the recipient of several research grants from the National Cancer Institute and has served as a reviewer on several NIH study sections. He has published more than 150 articles and book chapters, primarily in the areas of early stage drug development, gastrointestinal malignancies and ovarian cancer. He has served on the editorial boards of several leading medical journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Clinical Cancer Research. Dr. Rothenberg’s work was critical to the development and eventual FDA approval of irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar^®) in 1996 and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin^®) in 2002 for colorectal cancer and gemcitabine (Gemzar^®) in 1996 for pancreatic cancer. In addition to his clinical research accomplishments, Dr. Rothenberg has also been recognized for his compassionate care of cancer patients. In 2008, Dr. Rothenberg received the Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society, honoring him as one of the nation's top cancer caregivers.

“My entire career has been devoted to developing new and better cancer therapies on a patient by patient, study by study basis. With this opportunity at Pfizer, I will have the chance to oversee development of new therapies on a worldwide scale with a family of compounds that is one of the best in the industry. This is not only a great opportunity but also a great responsibility. To help accomplish this, I will work to forge collaborations between Pfizer and the best cancer research centers in the world to develop new, more effective therapies for patients with cancer,” Dr. Rothenberg said.

Dr. Rothenberg received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude in 1978, his M.D. from the New York University School of Medicine in 1982, and trained as an Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University from 1982 to 1985. He obtained his medical oncology training at the National Cancer Institute from 1985 to 1988 and served as Special Assistant to the Director, Division of Cancer Treatment from 1988 to 1991. In 1991, he moved to San Antonio where he was appointed Assistant, then Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Executive Officer of the Southwest Oncology Group. In 1998, Dr. Rothenberg returned to Vanderbilt where he is currently Professor of Medicine, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, Director of Phase I Drug Development, Co-Leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program, and Co-Principal Investigator of the Vanderbilt SPORE in Gastrointestinal Cancer.

About Pfizer Oncology

Pfizer Oncology is committed to the discovery, investigation and development of treatments and currently has 47 innovative compounds in development across four platforms. These agents target more than 20 different cancer-related pathways. By leveraging the strength of our resources and scientific talent, Pfizer Oncology strives to discover and develop novel treatment options to improve the outlook for oncology patients. Pfizer currently devotes more than 22 percent of their total R&D budget to the field of oncology, investing $1.67 billion annually in worldwide research initiatives. We also partner with healthcare providers, governments and local communities around the world to provide better quality healthcare and health system support.