John J. Alam, M.D.
Executive Vice President, Medicines Development and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Alam joined Vertex in October 1997. As Vertex’s CMO, Dr. Alam oversees a wide range of core functions at Vertex, including Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Clinical Development Operations, Nonclinical Development and Commercial Development. Dr. Alam is also a member of the Executive Team at Vertex.
From 1991 to 1997, Dr. Alam held a variety of positions with Biogen, Inc., including Director of Medical Research and Program Executive for Avonex (beta interferon).
“I am proud to have been a part of the team that developed Avonex, got it approved and into the market, where it has made a difference in the lives of thousands of patients affected with multiple sclerosis.”
John J. Alam
Patient Maven
Dr. Alam was a Research Fellow at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and completed an internal medicine residency at The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Alam holds an M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School and an S.B. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“When I came to Vertex I was impressed with the company’s vision, to make a difference for patients across a range of serious and life threatening diseases. I am a dreamer and one of the things I dream about is advances in how we treat certain diseases that might seem unimaginable now. It was a good fit.”
“I’m a strong believer that whatever you do, you must strive to have a big impact. This philosophy is what drives me. This is true at Vertex where there is a core commitment to a relentless pursuit of excellence.”