Addition of new therapeutic expert reflects company’s commitment to drug development in hematology

DURHAM, N.C., April 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parexel, one of the world’s largest clinical research organizations (CROs) providing the full range of Phase I to IV clinical development services, today announced the appointment of Scott Smith, M.D., Ph.D. as Senior Vice President, Global Therapeutic Area Head – Hematology. In this role, Dr. Smith will lead Parexel’s Hematology therapeutic area and global team within our Oncology Center of Excellence in the development of new treatments for malignant hematology diseases as well as in the development of new therapies to treat non-malignant hematology diseases.

“Cancer is expected to continue being a significant healthcare burden, making our medical expertise in this area even more critical to providing the support our customers and patients need to bring new, important therapies to market,” said Amy McKee, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Head, Oncology Center of Excellence. “Dr. Scott’s extensive knowledge in hematology, expertise in directing oncology clinical trials and experience practicing medicine make him an ideal choice to lead our hematology therapeutic area as we continue to strengthen Parexel’s leadership position in this critical therapeutic area.”  

Dr. Smith is a licensed physician and surgeon with more than 26 years of medical experience at the Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois. Prior to joining Parexel, Scott held several positions of increasing responsibility at Loyola Medicine's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, including Director, Cancer Clinical Trials Office; Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program; Section Chief of Hematology; and Associate Director, Clinical Research.

In these roles, Dr. Smith made significant contributions to increase the number of lymphoma clinical trials – helping to bring a new drug to market to treat relapsed Hodgkin’s lymphoma while working to change the standard of care for patients. Dr. Smith’s experience also includes serving as Executive Officer for the Alliance of Clinical Trials in Oncology in Chicago, leading the group’s hematology research portfolio. He is actively involved in the industry and serves on the Lymphoma Committee and Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Committee at the SWOG Cancer Research Network along with the Protocol Review Committee at Loyola University Chicago.  

“At Parexel, we are passionate about achieving better outcomes for patients,” added Peyton Howell, Chief Operating and Growth Officer. “By widening our bench of medical experts and industry thought leaders, we continue to make progress on delivering the best possible treatment options to patients worldwide.” 

About Parexel
Parexel is among the world’s largest clinical research organizations (CROs), providing the full range of Phase I to IV clinical development services to help life-saving treatments reach patients faster. Leveraging the breadth of our clinical, regulatory and therapeutic expertise, our team of more than 21,000 global professionals works in partnership with biopharmaceutical leaders, emerging innovators and sites to design and deliver clinical trials with patients in mind, increasing access and participation to make clinical research a care option for anyone, anywhere. Our depth of industry knowledge and strong track record gained over the past 40 years is moving the industry forward and advancing clinical research in healthcare’s most complex areas, while our innovation ecosystem offers the best solutions to make every phase of the clinical trial process more efficient. With the people, insight and focus on operational excellence, we work With Heart™ every day to treat patients with dignity and continuously learn from their experiences, so every trial makes a difference. For more information, visit parexel.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

MEDIA
Lori Preuit Dorer
+1 513 496 8121
Lori.Dorer@parexel.com

Danaka Williams
+1 984 298 4207
Danaka.Williams@parexel.com