D’Ambra To Retire From AMRI

Thomas E. D’Ambra, founder, president, and CEO of Albany Molecular Research Inc., will retire effective Dec. 31. William S. Marth, 57, a former Teva Pharmaceutical Industries executive, who is currently nonexecutive chairman of AMRI’s board, will succeed D’Ambra, 58, as president and CEO. Founded in 1991 by D’Ambra, a one-time research chemist at Sterling Winthrop, AMRI is considered a pioneer in drug contract research. It later expanded into manufacturing and biopharmaceutical services and amassed facilities in the U.S., the U.K., India, and Singapore. Sales last year were $227 million. The company’s early growth was fueled by royalties gained from its discovery of a new route to fexofenadine, the active ingredient in the allergy medicine Allegra. More recently, D’Ambra oversaw the launch of an initiative, called SmartSourcing, that integrates drug chemistry, biology, discovery, and development work. Marth was formerly the Americas head of Teva, the Israeli generic drugs giant. He joined AMRI’s board last year.