Leigh MacConell PhD has over 20 years of drug discovery and development experience. Most recently Dr. MacConell served as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development at Intercept Pharmaceuticals where she provided strategic leadership for the global clinical development of obeticholic acid (OCA). Leigh MacConell, Ph.D. will report to Liping Liu, Ph.D., founder and CEO of HighTide Therapeutics.
Leigh MacConell PhD will lead the company’s global clinical development, regulatory and quality functions, and will focus on driving the advancement of the company’s pipeline.
“This year represents a significant step for HighTide as we transition to a late-stage clinical development company,” said Dr. Liu. “We are very pleased that Leigh has joined our team. She brings critical experience and proven leadership which can help us move our pipeline forward in numerous indications.”
“HighTide has developed an impressive and dedicated team that is focused on addressing unmet needs of patients around the world,” said Dr. MacConell. “I am excited about joining the company and helping them advance its growing and maturing pipeline of novel therapeutics.”
Prior to joining HighTide, Dr. MacConell led clinical development programs at Intercept Pharmaceuticals which secured US, EU and Canadian approvals of Ocaliva® for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare chronic liver disease. She also was accountable for securing breakthrough status for OCA for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with fibrosis and gaining consensus with US and EU regulatory authorities on precedent-setting clinical development plans in NASH.
Prior to Intercept, Dr. MacConell served as Senior Director, Medical Research and Development at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she served as clinical lead of their Type 2 Diabetes portfolio, securing multiple approvals for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, globally. Dr. MacConell has a Ph.D. in neuroendocrinology from the University of California, San Diego.
