Dr. Rubén D. Flores-Saaib Joins LA BioMed As Assistant Vice President for Business Development

LOS ANGELES – (May 23, 2013) – Rubén D. Flores-Saaib, PhD, an experienced professional in the biomedical development field, recently joined the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) as the assistant vice president for business development, a newly created position to maximize the potential of intellectual property generated by the institute’s 100 investigators.

In his new position, Dr. Flores-Saaib is assisting LA BioMed investigators in developing intellectual property, evaluating its potential and focusing on promoting licensing agreements with start-up and existing companies.

LA BioMed has spawned several spinoffs and has licenses, industry partnerships and agreements for research funding support in the areas of infectious diseases, molecular medicine, endocrinology, medical genetics and medical devices. Its investigators also hold numerous patents in pediatrics, medicine and surgery for which it is seeking commercial partners.

“Rubén brings substantial expertise in the many aspects of worldwide product development, approvals, clinical trials and licensing that is essential to the growth of the research enterprise at LA BioMed,” said David I. Meyer, PhD, LA BioMed president and CEO. “One of LA BioMed’s strengths is its entrepreneurial spirit, and Rubén will make it possible for the enterprise to maximize the potential of the intellectual property that is generated by our investigators.”

Dr. Flores-Saaib received his PhD from the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2000. Soon after graduation, he began his professional career in the San Diego biotechnology industry at BD Biosciences Pharmigen in Torrey Pines. He then moved to Biosite (now Alere) in Sorrento Valley and to Chemicon in 2005 (acquired by Millipore in 2006).

In 2007, he founded the Scientific Collaborations and Business Development group at the Biosciences division of Millipore (acquired by Merck KGaA in 2009). Most recently, Dr. Flores-Saaib was the vice president of the Custom and Catalog Business at GenWay Biotech.

He also is active in the scientific community, serving as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of UC Riverside’s Department of Bioengineering, the Keystone Symposia and the Coulter Foundation for translational research at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as a member of BIOCOM’s Food and Drug Administration committee and as an advisor for graduate programs in biotechnology at California State University, San Marcos.