Navidea names Rick Gonzalez chief executive officer

Rick Gonzalez, former vice president of global operations for Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, is the new chief executive officer for Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, producers of Lymphoseek, the company announced recently.

Gonzalez is said to have more than 20 years of pharmaceutical business experience in the areas of oncology and hematology.

“It is with great pleasure that Navidea welcomes Rick Gonzalez as the new chief executive officer,” Navidea board chairman Gordon Troup said in a press release. “Rick brings an impressive depth of global commercial, operational and leadership experience in the biotechnology field including oncology and radiotherapy, which are highly relevant to Lymphoseek. His extensive expertise across all aspects of product commercialization together with his proven track record of success will be invaluable to the growth of the company as we continue to advance the commercialization of Lymphoseek and demonstrate the value of our pipeline. On behalf of the board, we would also like to thank Michael Goldberg for his efforts as Interim CEO during this time of transition.”

Lymphoseek was recently approved by the FDA for detection of metastatic disease in all solid tumors. The Dublin, Ohio-based company plans to roll out additional drugs currently in research and development.

“I am delighted to join the Navidea team and am committed to its growth by focusing on the achievement of our corporate goals," said Gonzalez. “Together, with our dedicated and talented team, we will strive to expand the global commercial opportunity for Lymphoseek and its ground-breaking label for use in all solid tumors; further explore and pursue exciting Manocept platform prospects; and advance the important neuroimaging tracer programs through strategic partnerships. I look forward to the challenge at this important time in the company’s evolution.”