Deirdre Gillespie

Deirdre Gillespie, an accomplished pharmaceutical executive and clinical researcher, holds board membership with Apricus Biosciences, Inc., alongside several other professional affiliations. A Corporate Directors Forum participant, Deirdre Gillespie additionally maintains membership with the British Royal College of Physicians, the British Medical Association, and the British Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. She completed professional training and advanced degree programs at London University and London Business School.

After serving in an assortment of medical and clinical research positions in the United Kingdom, Dr. Gillespie joined the European division of the DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company in London in the role of European Marketing Director. She subsequently relocated to the corporate headquarters of the DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company in Wilmington, Delaware, to take the position of Worldwide Marketing and Planning Group Director, followed by Senior Director of Strategic Product Development, Vice President of Strategic Product Development, and Vice President of Marketing.

Deirdre Gillespie subsequently contributed at Vical, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company located in San Diego. Holding the post of Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Gillespie fulfilled numerous general leadership responsibilities, including acting as interim Chief Executive Officer for nine months.

After several years serving with Vical, Dr. Gillespie accepted a position as CEO and President with Oxxon Therapeutics in Oxford, UK. Her role with Oxxon included improving its intellectual property protection by expanding the patent portfolio from six to 23 patent families, constructing and implementing high-quality product development protocols, and fundraising, along with various other business development initiatives. Deirdre Gillespie most recently contributed at La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, Inc., a public company in San Diego, where she held the position of CEO and President for six years.