Peter Elliott (pharmacologist)

During the second year at McGill, Elliott was recruited to Glaxo Group Research, in the UK (now GlaxoSmithKline) to head up their Parkinson's and Movement Disorder group. During this time (1988-1993), he also worked on preclinical aspects of the drug, Ondansetron (a novel and first in class antiemetic drug), as well as exploring novel non-opioid opportunities to develop drugs to treat pain.^{[citation needed]} Elliott co-authored the Glaxo Pocket Guide to Pharmacology^[14] during this period. In 1993, Elliott was hired by the biotechnology company, Alkermes Inc. as head of Pharmacology (1993-1996)^[15] where he focused on novel drugs to treat stroke, and also on a permeabilizing agent, RMP-7, that enabled other drugs to treat glioma, and opportunistic infections in AIDS patients. In 1996, he was offered the head of Pharmacology at the biotechnology company, ProScript (1996-2001), where, along with Julian Adams,^[16] he co-developed a novel, anti-cancer agent, Velcade (PS-341), currently used to treat multiple myeloma. The clinical program was supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI; Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Developmental Therapeutics Program).^[17] ProScript was ultimately merged with LeukoSite, and then acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals (MLNM^[18]- now Takeda^[19]) for $635mm.^[20] MLNM was subsequently purchased by Takeda who currently market Velcade. Throughout this time, Elliott led the clinical development of PS-341 until its final Phase III trial when it was approved by the FDA, and other regulatory authorities around the world.^{[citation needed]} Elliott was also the project leader of an anti-stroke agent, PS-519, that completed Phase IIa clinical trials. Support for the development of PS-519 was, in part, achieved by Elliott being awarded a $100,000 SBIR grant,^[21] and a CRADA contract with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

When leaving Millennium, Elliott was Senior Vice President of Pharmacology & Drug Development.^{[citation needed]} Following the launch of Velcade, Elliott joined a new biotechnology company, CombinatoRx (CRx) as Executive Vice President of Product Development (2001-2005).^[22] Here he launched numerous combination products into various inflammatory areas (asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis) and oncology. During his time at CRx, Elliott was part of the management team that completed a successful $42 MM IPO^[23] as well as gaining $20 MM support from the Singaporean government to start up a new company in Singapore to mimic the CRx model in the USA.^{[24][25][26][27]} In 2005, Peter was recruited to another biotechnology company, Sirtris (2005-2009).^[28][29] The company focused on diseases of ageing including diabetes, oncology and inflammatory conditions. Elliott was part of the management team that completed a $60 MM IPO,^[30] and additional rounds of funding. He completed clinical trials in diabetics before the company was acquired by GSK in 2008 for $720 MM.^[31] Elliott remained for the transition period, and then left in 2009, at this time he was Head of Research and Development.^{[32][33][34][35]} Subsequently, Elliott set up his own consulting company, Wapiti Pharmaceutical Consulting, Marlboro, MA, USA.^{[citation needed]}

Elliott is the co-author of patents relating to procedures and drugs worked on during his time in academia and within the industrial setting.^{[36][37][38][39]}

Elliott married Laura Bird (b 1957. d 2010) in 1983 and has a daughter and a son.^{[citation needed]}