John Crowley (biotech executive)

Infobox Person
name = John F Crowley


image_size = 200px
birth_date = birth date and age|1967|4|7
birth_place = Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = President and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics
spouse = Aileen Crowley
children = John Crowley III, Megan Crowley, Patrick Crowley

John F. Crowley is an American biotechnology executive and entrepreneur. He is a possible candidate in the Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey in 2009, [ [http://politickernj.com/max/21057/crowley-makes-rounds-and-christie-still-establishment-gop-favorite-gov "Crowley makes rounds, and Christie still establishment GOP favorite for Gov"] PolitickerNJ.com, June 24, 2008. Accessed June 24, 2008.] and he was discussed as a potential candidate in the 2008 Republican primary for United States Senate in New Jersey to oppose incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg.

Crowley attended the United States Naval Academy and completed three semesters of study. He then graduated with a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He entered University of Notre Dame Law School in 1989 and married his wife Aileen in 1990. After receiving his J.D. degree from Notre Dame in 1992, he worked as a litigation associate in the Health Care Practice Group of the Indianapolis-based law firm of Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman. He went on to receive an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School in 1997 and then worked for a management consulting firm in San Francisco.Crowley, John. [http://www.nd.edu/~ndlaw/alumni/ndlawyer/spring07/children.pdf "To Save the Children"] . "Notre Dame Lawyer", Spring 2007. Accessed April 4, 2008.] [http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=1061285&symbol=FOLD.O Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. Executive Profile] , "BusinessWeek". Accessed April 4, 2008.]

In 1998, two of Crowley's children, Megan and Patrick, were diagnosed with a fatal neuromuscular disorder, Glycogen storage disease type II, also called Pompe disease. In the face of the children's deteriorating health, the family moved to Princeton, New Jersey to be close to doctors specializing in the disease. Crowley worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he served in a number of senior management positions. Frustrated with the slow place of research on Pompe disease, Crowley left Bristol-Myers Squibb in March 2000 and took over as CEO of Novazyme, a biotechnology start-up company based in Oklahoma City that was conducting research on a new experimental treatment for the disease. [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=khFGloa5Znk"John Crowley On The Today Show 2001"] . Youtube.com, September, 2001. Accessed June 16, 2008.] In 2001 Novazyme merged into Genzyme Corporation, the world's third largest biotechnology company. The acquisition of Novazyme and Crowley's fight to cure Pompe's Disease has been documented in the Harvard Business School Case Study, Novazyme: A Father's Love [ [http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=MNXAFI2CKU00MAKRGWDSELQBKE0YIISW?id=603048&referral=2341"A Father's Love: Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "] . Harvard.edu, October, 2002. Accessed June 20, 2008.]

In January 2003, Megan and Patrick Crowley received the enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease developed by Genzyme. John Crowley credits the experimental trial with saving his children's lives. Crowley was profiled in the Wall Street Journal by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand. [Anand, Geeta. [http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB106184568337857300-H9jeoNjlad2n52uaoCIa6uDm5.html "For His Sick Kids, a Father Struggled to Develop a Cure"] . "The Wall Street Journal", August 26, 2003. Accessed April 4, 2008.] Anand expanded the profile of Crowley into a book published in 2006, "The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million – And Bucked the Medical Establishment – In a Quest to Save His Children" (ISBN 978-0060734398). [ [http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/sp2007/crowley.html "Taking Matters Into His Own Hands"] . "Notre Dame Magazine", Spring 2007. Accessed April 4, 2008.] Harrison Ford has optioned the rights to the film and will also be co-starring in the film. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987104.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Crowley Lures Harrison Ford To CBS"] . Variety.com, June 9, 2008. Accessed June 16, 2008.]

Crowley went on to become President and CEO of Orexigen Therapeutics, and he is currently the President and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, based in Cranbury, New Jersey. [ [http://ir.amicustherapeutics.com/management.cfm Senior Management Team] , Amicus Therapeutics. Accessed April 4, 2008.] He serves in the United States Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer and completed a six-month tour of duty at the Center for Naval Intelligence in Virginia in 2007. [ [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/crusading_dad_eyes_us_senate_r.html "Crusading dad John Crowley may run for U.S. Senate"] . "The Star-Ledger", March 28, 2008. Accessed April 4, 2008.]

2008 U.S. Senate Race

In the spring of 2008, Crowley was frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for United States Senate in New Jersey to oppose incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg. Though Crowley initially declined, reports on April 4, 2008 indicated that he would enter the race before the April 7 filing deadline. [ [http://politickernj.com/wallye/18130/sources-say-crowley "Sources say Crowley is in"] . PolitickerNJ.com, April 4, 2008. Accessed April 4, 2008.] On April 6, however, Crowley again announced that he would not run for Senate. [ [http://politickernj.com/matt-friedman/18155/it-s-official-crowley-will-not-run-again "It’s official: Crowley will not run... again"] . PolitickerNJ.com, April 6, 2008. Accessed April 6, 2008.]

"Building the New Majority"

Crowley is currently the Honorary Chairman of [http://www.buildingthenewmajority.com Building the New Majority] , a Continuing Political Committee (the New Jersey state version of a Political Action Committee) that seeks "..to identify, develop and empower local candidates from township committee to the state legislature". [ [http://www.buildingthenewmajority.com/home.php "Building the New Majority website] . Accessed June 28, 2008.]

References