JPL Biotech

Consulting Services to the Biopharmaceutical Industry

 Portfolio Assessment and Pipeline Management

Financing Strategies and Budget Assessments

IR/PR: Presentation Review 

Organizational and Management Issues

Mfg Operations: Efficiencies and Compliance

Preclinical Development Programs

Regulatory Strategies

Over 35 years of executive management experience in private and public biotechnology companies.

Contact John P. Longenecker @ johnlongenecker@jplbiotech.com or on 858-775-7017

 John Longenecker, PhD. has more than 35 years of executive management experience in the the development of biopharmaceuticals. Dr. Longenecker was most recently (2010-2014) president, CEO and Director of HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, a biotherapeutics company developing a therapeutic for the prevention of pain crisis in Sickle Cell Disease and Beta Thalassemia. Previously (February 2002 to Jan 2009) John served as president and CEO of Favrille, Inc., a biotechnology company developing patient-specific cancer vaccines. He led Favrille through multiple private financings, an IPO in Jan 2005, and several post public financings, raising over $210 million dollars to support the company’s growth. In anticipation of successful development of the company’s lead product Specifid, the company grew to 150 employees and a full scale manufacturing operation for the production of a patient-specific vaccine against non Hodgkin's lymphoma. In May of 2008 results from the pivotal phase 3 trial of Specifid failed to demonstrate clinical utility and John led the downsizing and eventual merger of Favrille with My Medical Records Information Systems Inc, in early 2009.

Following the HemaQuest experience John served as interim CEO for private and public companies based in Los Angeles area, Seattle and Boston and as a consultant for a number venture funds assessing opportunities. 

John's previous experience includes key roles in the growth of two biotechnology companies (Cal Bio/Scios and DepoTech/SkyePharma) from start up to product approval and launch. He has participated in all aspects of company development including early seed and venture capital funding, public offerings, corporate partnering and management of collaborations, mergers and acquisitions. In 1992, Dr. Longenecker joined DepoTech as Senior Vice President of Research, Development and Operations. John was instrumental in taking DepoTech public in Sept 1995 and served as President from February 1998 to April1999, during which time the company’s lead product, DepoCyt, was approved by the FDA and launched. DepoCyt is approved worldwide for the treatment of lymphomatous meningitis, a condition that occurs when lymphoma spreads to the brain and spinal column. Following SkyePharma plc's acquisition of DepoTech in 1999, Dr. Longenecker served as President for the U.S. operations of SkyePharma Inc. and as a Member of the Executive Committee for SkyePharma plc until joining Favrille as CEO in early 2002. 

The U.S. operations of SkyePharma were recently acquired by several private investors and is now known as Pacira, a public company (PCRX), John has served as a Director of Pacira from 2007 to 2022 and was a member of the audit and compensation committees and Chair of the Nominating and Governance committee. 

Dr. Longenecker was at Scios (Cal Bio), a biotechnology company in the San Francisco Bay Area (1982-1992). He was Vice-President and Director of Development at Scios from 1986 to 1992. Dr. Longenecker was also a Director of a number of Cal Bio subsidiaries during this period including Meta Bio (funded by Pfizer with programs in diabetes and obesity) and Karo Bio (a Swedish subsidiary with programs in endocrinology). Scios was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for $2.4B in 2003.

Dr. Longenecker holds a B.S. from Purdue University in W. Lafayette, Indiana and a PhD. in Biochemistry from The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. He was a post doctoral fellow at Stanford University from 1980 to 1982. John served on the Dean's Leadership Council of the School of Science at Purdue University from 2007 until 2013, and the Industrial Liaison Committee of the Moore's Cancer Center at UCSD.