Joshua Boger

Joshua S. Boger was born on April 12, 1951, in Concord, North Carolina to Charles E. Boger, Jr., a textile chemist and Mary Snead Boger, an actress and writer.{{cite news|title=Mary Snead Boger|url=http://www.oldcourthousetheatre.org/marysneadboger.htm|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Charlotte Observer|date=May 9, 2011}}

From 1970 to 1973, Boger attended Wesleyan University.

During this time Max Tishler, formerly the president of Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, became Boger's mentor.

Boger received a bachelor's degree in chemistry and philosophy from Wesleyan in 1973.{{cite news|last1=Beals|first1=Shawn R.|title=Wesleyan Receives $20 Million Donation From Trustees Chairman|url=http://www.courant.com/community/middletown/hc-wesleyan-donation-fundraising-middletown-0129-20160128-story.html|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Hartford Courant|date=January 28, 2016}}

Boger then attended Harvard University, where he worked with Jeremy R. Knowles on the chemistry of cyclodextrin. He received his master's degree in 1975 and doctorate degree in chemistry in 1979.{{cite news|title=Success breeds success for Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science|url=https://hms.harvard.edu/success-breeds-success-harvard-program-therapeutic-science|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Harvard Medical School|archive-date=4 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804042300/https://hms.harvard.edu/success-breeds-success-harvard-program-therapeutic-science|url-status=dead}}

He did postdoctoral research in molecular recognition with Jean-Marie Lehn from the Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France.{{cite web|title=Global Youth Summit on the Future of Medicine Joshua Boger, PhD, MA|url=http://www.brandeis.edu/precollege/global-youth-summit/about/speakers/boger-joshua.html|website=Brandeis University|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

On the recommendation of Max Tishler, Boger was hired by Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories in 1978. He initially worked on hypertension drugs, developing a highly potent renin inhibitor.{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Michael|last2=Malick|first2=Jeffrey B.|title=Drug discovery and development|date=1987|publisher=Humana Press|location=Clifton, N.J.|isbn=978-0-89603-108-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O0LuBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64}}

An important step in this process was the application of computer modeling to the chemistry of drug design.

Within 2 years, Boger was leading a group at Merck where he developed novel rational drug design techniques and applied them to pharmaceutical discovery and development.{{cite book|last1=Fried|first1=Stephen|title=Bitter pills : inside the hazardous world of legal drugs|date=1998|publisher=Bantam Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-553-10383-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tw-TlFtFSc8C&pg=PA352|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

By 1987 Boger became senior director of basic chemistry at Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, in charge of the departments of Biophysical Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry of Immunology and Inflammation.

In 1989, Boger founded Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. He has served variously as its president, CEO and chairman of the board.{{cite web|title=Joshua S. Boger Ph.D.|website=Bloomberg L.P. (U.S.)|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=194215&privcapId=36235|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

At Vertex, Boger pioneered an approach to structure-based rational drug design that changed the way that drug development occurred.{{cite book|last1=Hubbard|first1=Roderick E.|title=Structure-based drug discovery : an overview|date=2006|publisher=RSC|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0854043514|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ym0oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|accessdate=19 January 2018}}{{cite book|last1=Olson|first1=Steve|last2=Claiborne|first2=Anne B.|title=Maximizing the impact of the Cures Acceleration Network : accelerating the development of new drugs and diagnostics : workshop summary|date=2012|publisher=National Academies Press|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=9780309261166|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zfdjjlqUWCUC&pg=PA78|ref=Olson}} The analogy often used for structure-based design is that of a lock and key: first understand the type of lock involved, and then design a key to fit that lock. Researchers sought to understand the structure of the molecules that might affect disease processes (the "lock") and then to design drugs capable of interacting with the target molecules to alter their functions (the "key").{{cite news|last1=Eban|first1=Katherine|title=What ails Big Pharma|url=http://fortune.com/2014/03/13/what-ails-big-pharma/|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Fortune|date=March 13, 2014}}

Employees worked in multi-disciplinary teams, combined technologies from biophysics, chemistry and computer science, and applied them to drug discovery and the development of small molecule drugs.{{cite book|last1=Wolff|first1=George|title=The biotech investor's bible|date=2001|publisher=Wiley|location=New York, NY [u.a.]|isbn=978-0471412793|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0LHOWgYRHUC&pg=PA95|accessdate=18 January 2018}}

As of 2003, Vertex was listed as one of forty worldwide Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum, for advancing drug discovery through this approach.

While under Boger's leadership, the company worked on several potentially valuable drug treatments. Agenerase (amprenavir), an HIV protease inhibitor, was co-developed by Vertex and GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and approved by the FDA in 1999.{{cite news|title=A company timeline It's been a long road from start-up to verge of FDA approval|url=http://archive.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2011/04/24/vertex_pharmaceuticals_timeline/|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=Boston Globe|date=April 24, 2011}} A second related drug was submitted for approval in 2002.{{cite news|title=Vertex Pharmaceuticals Announces Submission of NDA/MAA Filings in U.S. and Europe for GW433908 (new formulation of Agenerase [amprenavir]) for Treatment of HIV Infection|url=http://www.natap.org/2002/Dec/122702_6.htm|accessdate=18 January 2018|date=December 20, 2002}} Lexiva (fosamprenavir) was approved by U.S. regulators on October 20, 2003.{{cite news|last1=Richwine|first1=Lisa|title=US clears GlaxoSmithKline, Vertex AIDS drug|url=http://www.ustc8312.com/drugnews/messages/78.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|agency=Reuters|date=October 20, 2003}}

Vertex also developed Telaprevir, a protease inhibitor for treatment of hepatitis C.{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Carolyn Y.|title=On the long, hard road to a breakthrough|url=http://archive.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2011/04/24/cambridge_firm_spent_decades_and_billions_on_a_pill_to_treat_hepatitis_c/|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=The Boston Globe|date=April 24, 2011}}

Telaprevir works by disabling a protein that the virus requires for replication.

Scientists at Vertex first published the crystal structure for the protease of the hepatitis C virus in 1996.{{cite journal|last1=Kim|first1=J.L|last2=Morgenstern|first2=K.A|last3=Lin|first3=C|last4=Fox|first4=T|last5=Dwyer|first5=M.D|last6=Landro|first6=J.A|last7=Chambers|first7=S.P|last8=Markland|first8=W|last9=Lepre|first9=C.A|last10=O'Malley|first10=E.T|last11=Harbeson|first11=S.L|last12=Rice|first12=C.M|last13=Murcko|first13=M.A|last14=Caron|first14=P.R|last15=Thomson|first15=J.A|title=Crystal Structure of the Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Protease Domain Complexed with a Synthetic NS4A Cofactor Peptide|journal=Cell|date=October 1996|volume=87|issue=2|pages=343–355|doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81351-3|pmid=8861917|s2cid=14785240|url=http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(00)81351-3|accessdate=19 January 2018|doi-access=free}}{{cite news|last1=McBride|first1=Ryan|title=How Eli Lilly Let a Billion-Dollar Molecule Slip Away and Make a Fortune for Vertex|url=https://www.xconomy.com/boston/2010/08/04/how-eli-lilly-let-a-billion-dollar-molecule-slip-away-and-make-a-fortune-for-vertex/|accessdate=19 January 2018|work=EXOME|date=August 4, 2010}}

As part of the development process for the drug, the company developed an elaborate systems biology model in which they modeled hepatitis C's dynamics to the level of individual patient response.{{cite news|last1=Proffitt|first1=Allison|title=Joshua Boger: Predicting Patient Response|url=http://www.bio-itworld.com/2008/05/09/boger-keynote-bioitworld-expo.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=BIO-IT World|date=May 9, 2008}}

Telaprevir was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as Incivek in May 2011.{{cite news|last1=Pollack|first1=Andrew|title=Second Drug Wins Approval For Treatment of Hepatitis C|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/business/24drug.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=The New York Times|date=May 23, 2011}}

A third product, an orally administered pill for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, grew out of the acquisition of Aurora Biosciences Corporation by Vertex in 2001. The San Diego research company had a contract with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit for patient advocacy and research, to create an assay for the disease. After the acquisition, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation approached Vertex about expanding the contract to search for a drug treatment. The potential market for such a drug was small, unlikely to return a profit. The problem required a new approach: finding a way to turn on a non-functioning protein. Boger's decision to investigate a new area has been treated as a case study by the Harvard Business School. It is one of the first examples of venture philanthropy funding, in which a charity buys equity in a company, which then tries to solve a specific problem for them. Vertex has since developed several possible drugs for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, the first of which was Kalydeco in 2012.{{cite news|last1=Seiffert|first1=Don|title=How a $500K contract turned Vertex into a $30 billion drugmaker|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2015/11/how-a-500k-contract-turned-vertex-into-a-30.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=Boston Business Journal|date=2016}}{{cite news|last1=Crabtree|first1=Penni|title=Poised to be a star Cystic fibrosis project has San Diego unit of Vertex on verge of a treatment|url=http://legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20051021/news_1b21vertex.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=U-T San Diego|date=October 21, 2005}}

Boger retired as CEO of Vertex as of May 23, 2009,{{cite news|last1=Timmerman|first1=Luke |title=Vertex CEO Josh Boger Retiring In May; Matthew Emmens To Fill Role |url=https://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/02/05/vertex-ceo-josh-boger-retiring-in-may-matthew-emmens-to-fill-role/|accessdate=16 January 2018|work=EXOME|date=February 5, 2009}} but remained on the Vertex Board of directors until June 2017.{{cite web|title=Dr. Joshua Boger|url=http://mrctcenter.org/about-mrct/external-advisory/joshua-boger/|website=The Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

The history of Vertex has been chronicled by journalist Barry Werth in The Billion-Dollar Molecule (1995){{cite web|title=Josh Boger speaks at Innovator's Business Series on "Managing in Balance"|url=https://www.bentley.edu/centers/center-for-integration-science-and-industry/josh-boger-speaks-innovators-business-series-managing|website=Bentley University|accessdate=17 January 2018}}{{cite book|last1=Werth|first1=Barry|title=The Billion Dollar Molecule: One Company's Quest for the Perfect Drug|date=1995|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-0671510572|url=https://archive.org/details/billiondollarmol00barr}} and The Antidote.{{cite book|last1=Werth|first1=Barry|title=The Antidote: Inside the World of New Pharma|date=December 23, 2014|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=9781451655674}}

In May 2012 Boger became executive chairman of Alkeus Pharmaceuticals. Alkeus is developing a possible drug treatment for Stargardt disease, a progressive genetic condition that is a major cause of juvenile macular degeneration.{{cite news|title=Joshua Boger Joins Alkeus Pharmaceuticals|url=http://www.alkeuspharma.com/20120523.pdf|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Alkeus Pharmaceuticals|date=May 23, 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Valigra|first1=Lori|title=Joshua Boger: Seeking a cure for childhood blindness|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2012/06/joshua-boger-seeking-a-cure-for-childhood.html|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Boston Business Journal|date=June 1, 2012}}

As of 2014, Boger was the author of over 50 scientific publications and held 32 issued U.S. patents.

Boger is a founding director and chairman of NEHI (Network for Excellence in Health Innovation),{{cite news|last1=Drake|first1=Olivia|title=New Science Center Gets Boost from Trustee, Wife|url=http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2007/03/16/0307bogergift-htm/|accessdate=19 January 2018|work=Wesleyan University|date=March 16, 2007}} established in 2002.{{cite news|last1=Boger|first1=Joshua|title=Building on a system of outreach, collaboration|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/05/07/building_on_a_system_of_outreach_collaboration/|accessdate=19 January 2018|work=Boston Globe|date=May 7, 2007}}

He is a founding director and vice-chairman of the Alliance for Business Leadership (formerly the Progressive Business Leaders Network), established in 2006.{{cite news|last1=Leung|first1=Shirley|title=Emerging from the crowd|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/10/15/don-groan-another-business-group-wants-take-off-boston/xXPs1qVU4ohn2mqPUlaU6N/story.html|accessdate=19 January 2018|work=Boston Globe|date=October 16, 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Fiztgerald|first1=Jay|title=Left leaning business group adopts new name, broader mission|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/print-edition/2012/04/20/left-leaning-business-group-adopts-new.html|accessdate=19 January 2018|work=Boston Business Journal|date=April 20, 2012}}{{cite web|title=Board of Directors|url=http://alliancebl.org/abl-bod-staff/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328102612/http://alliancebl.org/abl-bod-staff/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 28, 2017|website=The Alliance for Business Leadership|accessdate=19 January 2018}}

Boger is a member of the board of fellows of the Harvard Medical School.

Boger is an advocate of liberal education who has been strongly involved with his alma mater, Wesleyan University. Boger became a member of the board of trustees of Wesleyan University as of 1999, and chairman of the board of trustees as of 2009. On his retirement from the board of trustees in 2016, he and his family donated $20 million to Wesleyan, over half of which established an endowed scholarship program.{{cite web|last1=Kenney|first1=Laurie|title=Wesleyan Recognizes Boger Family's $20M Gift with Naming of Boger Hall|url=http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2016/01/28/bogerhall/|website=Wesleyan University|date=January 28, 2016}}

{{blockquote|“In an age of instant information access, the core skills for the 21st century are information curation, critical analysis, and cross-discipline integration. Increasingly, it is apparent that needed progress in complex fields like healthcare innovation requires balance and judgment across technical, social and political areas."}}

Boger has been the chairman of the board of directors of the Celebrity Series of Boston.{{cite web|title=Boards of Directors and Overseers |url=http://www.celebrityseries.org/about/board.htm|website=Celebrity Series of Boston|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

Boger has also served as the vice-chairman of the Boston Museum of Science.{{cite news|last1=Barth|first1=Sheila|title=Behind the Museum of Science|url=http://boston.forward.com/articles/182460/behind-the-museum-of-science|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Jewish Journal|date=December 18, 2013}}

He supports a variety of progressive and social justice causes, including the Greater Boston Food Bank.{{cite web|title=Executives and Board|url=https://www.gbfb.org/who-we-are/executives-board/|website=The Greater Boston Food Bank|accessdate=17 January 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Ball|first1=Patrick|title=Photo of the Day: Concord Residents Co-Chair Greater Boston Food Banquet|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/concord/photo-of-the-day-concord-residents-co-chair-greater-b3feba480a0|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Concord Patch|date=May 3, 2013}}

With Paul Sagan he has funded the Massachusetts' ACLU Technology for Liberty & Justice for All initiative.{{cite news|title=ACLU of Massachusetts Announces Technology for Liberty & Justice for All Initiative|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-massachusetts-announces-technology-liberty-justice-all-initiative|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=ACLU|date=March 12, 2013}}

He has been honored by the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action of Boston for his activities.

Boger is a Trustee Emeritus of The Hastings Center, a nonprofit bioethics research institute.{{Cite web |title=Trustees Emeriti |url=https://www.thehastingscenter.org/who-we-are/our-team/trustees-emeriti/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=The Hastings Center |language=en-US}}

In 2000, Boger combined his interests in scuba diving and photography by photographing the coral reefs off Wakaya Island near Fiji. By 2014, he was showing his underwater photography in one-man gallery shows.{{cite news|last1=Timmerman|first1=Luke |title=Josh Boger Finds Beauty Off the Coast of Fiji, in Life After Vertex|url=https://www.xconomy.com/national/2014/01/06/life-vertex-josh-boger-finds-beauty-coast-fiji/2/|accessdate=16 January 2018|work=EXOME|date=January 6, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Seiffert|first1=Don|title=Vertex founder displays underwater photography at MassBio|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2014/10/vertex-founder-displays-underwater-photography-at.html|accessdate=17 January 2018|work=Boston Business Journal|date=October 31, 2014}} A permanent exhibit of 22 photographs, “Wakaya Octocorals and Giants,” is on display at the Exley Science Center at Wesleyan University.

• 2018, Othmer Gold Medal, Science History Institute{{cite web|title=Othmer Gold Medal|url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/othmer-gold-medal|publisher=Science History Institute|accessdate=1 February 2018}}
• 2015, Lifetime Achievement Award, Boston Business Journal{{cite news|title=Meet the BBJ's Innovation All-Stars of 2015|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2015/10/29/meet-the-boston-business-journals-innovation-all.html|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=Boston Business Journal|date=October 29, 2015}}
• 2011, Biotechnology Heritage Award, from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation{{cite web|title=Biotechnology Heritage Award|url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/biotechnology-heritage-award|website=Science History Institute|accessdate=22 March 2018}}{{cite web|title=Joshua Boger Awarded 2011 Biotechnology Heritage Award|url=http://www.chemheritage.org/about/news-and-press/press-releases/2011-06-28-bio-heritage-award.aspx|publisher=Chemical Heritage Foundation|date=28 June 2011|accessdate=5 February 2014|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712194449/http://www.chemheritage.org/about/news-and-press/press-releases/2011-06-28-bio-heritage-award.aspx|archivedate=July 12, 2016}}
• 2009, Distinguished Community Leadership Award, Jewish Alliance for Law & Social Action (JALSA)
• 2009, Biotech Hall of Fame{{cite news|title=New Inductees to The Biotech Meeting Hall of Fame Announced|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/new-inductees-to-the-biotech-meeting-hall-of-fame-announced-1709973.htm|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=Market Wired|date=October 7, 2012}}
• 2003, one of forty Worldwide Technology Pioneers, World Economic Forum{{cite web|title=The Impact of Innovation Technology Pioneers 2003|url=http://www.griequity.com/resources/industryandissues/TechConsumer/apaxtech2003.pdf|website=APAX Partners|publisher=World Economic Forum|accessdate=17 January 2018|page=29}}

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Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:American biochemists

Category:Harvard Medical School people

Category:Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni

Category:People from Concord, North Carolina

Category:Wesleyan University alumni