Bob DeLuccia

Founder and General Manager - Acurx Pharmaceuticals

Les Johnson, Acurx Manufacturing Director

Les is an independent contractor providing services to the Company as key technical interface between drug substance and drug product Contract Manufacturing Organizations selected by Acurx for manufacture of its pharmaceutical products. Les writes, reviews and approves all technical documents for ultimate approval of the Company to ensure GLP/GMP compliance, product quality and cost control.

“Having worked with Les Johnson for a number of years, I have full confidence in his technical skills to qualify and manage CMOs and provide the necessary regulatory and QC/QA support to our Company”...Bob DeLuccia

Robert J. DeLuccia

Cofounder & Managing Partner

Acurx Pharmaceuticals

22 Camelot Court

White Plains, NY 10603

 

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Marc Bonner

Senior Consultant

I reported directly to Les

Les has a leadership style that enabled me to contribute my full potential as an intern and has continued to provide examples and guidance throughout my career and development as a leader. Les has a strong technical background, but more importantly he is a team builder and coach that brings out the best in others.

 

 

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Elise Brownell, PhD

Executive Vice President of Operations and Project Management at Amarantus BioScience

I worked with Elise in the same group

I consider it a great honor to write a recommendation for Les Johnson. He and I were core team members for an up-and-coming bio/pharmaceutical startup focused on developing a new therapy for an Orphan indication. Although I can wax poetic about Les' technical knowledge and capabilities (which alone are enough to distinguish him from other professionals in the field), I would like to comment on the rarer qualities that make him an exceptional consultant and valued team-based colleague. Les is unusual in his ability to frame conversations so that dissenting opinions can be heard, novel ideas can be surfaced, creative solutions can be contemplated, and operational agility can be brought to bear. Most of all he exercises outstanding judgement while approaching problematic situations with grace, kindness and firmness. He is the bedrock of any project he is on, and creates a climate in which entrepreneurs feel comfortable taking calculated risks.

 

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Jen DiGiacinto

Vice President Clinical Pharmacology at RRD International, LLC

Over 8 years I have had the great pleasure of working with Les Johnson at Salamandra LLC and then RRD International, LLC. Simply said Les has an impressive understanding of various processes that encompass manufacturing, quality systems, CMC, and regulatory within the biologics arena. Les provides our clients with sound advice and recommendations that clearly impact development programs in a positive manner. Les maintains a strong sense of professionalism, thinks critically, and is quick to address any CMC/quality systems issues that may surface. Les is an individual that maintains a pleasant demeanor coupled with a strong sense of integrity. I highly recommend him!

 

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George Goldberger

Founder, Chairman and CEO at Cell 1, Inc.

Les Johnson is a fabulously talented executive with deep knowledge in the cell therapy field. He is an expert in establishing and implementing Good Manufacturing Practices standards, the gold standard of the field, and has a thorough understanding of the attendant quality assurance and control systems. I would be delighted to work with Les at any time.

 

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Steve Hubert

Sr. Director of Manufacturing at Synthetic Biologics, Inc.

Les is a seasoned veteran in the biologics manufacturing space. It seems like he has seen about everything and very little would surprise him. This gives him the ability to provide insightful information and analysis to his colleagues and clients to reach optimal outcomes. He is truly a pleasure to work with and someone you want in your corner when you are trying to accomplish big and important milestones.

 

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Stephanie Finnegan

Chief Operating Officer at Cromos™ Pharma

Les is a brilliant consultant who serves his clients with tireless dedication. He is quite knowledgeable in all areas of biopharmaceutical drug development, including R&D, GMP manufacturing, analytics, clinical trial strategy, regulatory strategy and compliance, quality audit and documents including IND, BLA and NDA. His skills in business development and client/relationship management are unparalleled. He can work across a multiplicity of disciplines from the bench to the Boardroom. Les always delivers more to his clients than they are paying for, on time, and is also a tireless networker, connecting colleagues with one another for their mutual benefit and without thought to any personal gain. I would use Les to assist with a wide variety of biopharmaceutical projects and would not hesitate to hire him or recommend him for hire at a very high level.

 

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Paul Silber

Founding Principal, Blu Venture Investors

I only had the privilege of working directly with Les for a few short months after he arrived at In Vitro/Celsis, and before I left the company. But during that time I worked closely with Les, on a daily basis, to tackle whatever challenging issues needed to be addressed, and to go after opportunities that presented themselves. Les showed a lot of initiative, always coming up with good ideas and solutions founded on a strong background of relevant experience. Les was also very able leader of his products team, rolling up his sleeves and jumping in to the fray when he needed to, and quickly earning he loyalty of his troops. He shouldered more than his share of responsibility for the most profitable part of our organization, and did so with a remarkable sense of humor, even in the face of a very heavy work load for his team.

In the almost 10 years since leaving the business, I've kept in regular touch with Les, ever appreciative of his good nature and keen mind.

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Caitlin Ailes Brown

Field Applications Scientist at HTG Molecular Diagnostics 

I directly reported to Les at InVitro/Celsis. He was truly one-of-a-kind. He always helped out in the lab and volunteered to come in on the weekends. As the on-call coordinator I would call Les at all hours of the night! He never hesitated to help me problem solve regardless of what time it was. My favorite quality of Les was he always went out of the way to tell us he appreciated our hard work.

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Kurt Harris

VP Sales at RURO, Inc.

Les was my “go to” person in operations at Celsis IVT. His interactions with our group helped align production capabilities with sales delivery expectations. His work in redesigning how feedback was obtained from the field and how product was made resulted in extraordinary quality products that were well differentiated from our competitors. He was always willing to listen and act upon any information from the sales and marketing team, which allowed us to continue to grow sales in a crowded marketplace. Les is highly motivated, personable and a pleasure to work with.