The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative (BAB) has named Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., president of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, to its steering committee. Onyx, an Amgen subsidiary, is engaged in the development and commercialization of innovative therapies to improve the lives of people with cancer.

The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative, which brings together the biotech industry, universities, investors, medical centers, health insurers, the technology sector and government, has established three strategic imperatives to improve human health: increasing efficiency in clinical trials; accelerating the timeline of drug discovery, development and diagnosis in areas of significant unmet medical need; and expediting the implementation of innovative technological advances into the everyday practice of medicine.

The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative steering committee represents members, Bay Area institutions and companies and other stakeholders when making major decisions for the initiative. It is responsible for creating and implementing policies, activities and events that foster innovation and collaboration to strengthen the Bay Area BioEconomy. The steering committee also represents Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative to the community.

Cagnoni currently is president of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, where he has global accountability for product development and commercial strategy for the Onyx portfolio. He joined Onyx in March 2013 as executive vice president, global R&D and technical operations and was named president in October 2013, when Onyx became a subsidiary of Amgen.

Cagnoni previously was senior vice president and global head of clinical development at Novartis Oncology, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Allos Therapeutics and, prior to that, was chief medical officer of OSI Pharmaceuticals.