Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky is a preeminent medical oncologist and pharmaceutical executive whose pioneering work has significantly advanced cancer therapeutics development over three decades. He earned his MD from Vanderbilt University before completing his Internal Medicine residency at University of California San Diego and Medical Oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Rowinsky has held pivotal leadership roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at ImClone Systems, where he led the FDA approval of Erbitux for head and neck and colorectal cancers, and Head of Research and Development at Stemline Therapeutics, where he oversaw development of novel oncology therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells. Most recently, he was appointed Chief Medical Officer of RRD Biopharma Development, part of Uniphar, in May 2025, bringing his unparalleled expertise in clinical development and registrational strategy to this specialized product development company.
Dr. Rowinsky has been instrumental in the development and registration of numerous groundbreaking cancer therapeutics that have transformed patient care worldwide. His pivotal clinical and preclinical investigations have directly contributed to the advancement of landmark treatments including paclitaxel, docetaxel, topotecan, irinotecan, erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab, ramucirumab, tagraxofusp and temsirolimus, among others. During his tenure at ImClone Systems, he successfully led the FDA approval of Erbitux and advanced eight other monoclonal antibodies through clinical development, establishing himself as a master of navigating complex regulatory pathways for novel oncology agents. His leadership has resulted in the registration of over twelve novel therapies for patients with advanced cancers, with several becoming standard of care in their respective indications and collectively improving outcomes for millions of cancer patients globally.
Beyond his direct development contributions, Dr. Rowinsky serves in influential advisory and governance roles that shape the broader oncology landscape, currently sitting on the boards of Biogen, Fortress Biotech, Purple Biotech, and Verastem. As an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at New York University, he continues to mentor the next generation of oncology drug developers while leveraging his extensive experience as an independent consultant to numerous biopharmaceutical companies worldwide. His current work focuses on advancing innovative therapeutic approaches for difficult-to-treat malignancies through his leadership at RRD Biopharma Development, where he provides strategic and operational support to biopharmaceutical companies navigating the complex path from discovery to market approval. Dr. Rowinsky remains at the forefront of oncology drug development, committed to translating scientific breakthroughs into meaningful therapies that address unmet medical needs in cancer care.
