Thomas E. D'Ambra, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer/Board Member
Pharmapotheca A, Inc.
Dr. D’Ambra has a distinguished career in the healthcare industry from lab research scientist to CEO and just about everything in between. He received a Ph.D. in 1982 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Synthetic Organic Chemistry) and joined Pharmapotheca A in 2020 to lead its major expansion through planning, fund raising and execution. He also currently sits on the Board of Adora Life Sciences, a virtual company seeking to exploit and commercialize a niche in polyaminoglycan biomolecules for animal and human use.
Dr. D’Ambra retired as CEO from Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI, now known as Curia) in 2013 and as Chairman of the Board of AMRI in 2017. Dr. D’Ambra founded AMRI in 1991. The company became a pioneer and leader in establishing US-based discovery and development contract research, biological and analytical testing and cGMP manufacturing of active ingredients and drug products for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Under Dr. D’Ambra’s leadership, AMRI had grown to several thousand employees with additional locations in Spain, Italy, India, UK, Germany and other locations in Europe. In 1999 the company raised ~$60 million through an initial public offering and in 2000 raised an additional ~$180 million in a secondary public offering. Dr. D’Ambra personally developed the patented route to the synthesis of fexofenadine, the active ingredient in Allegra and between 1995 to 2015, AMRI received over $500 million in royalties on Allegra and other licensed IP. In 2013 AMRI raised an additional $180 million in convertible debt as it began an aggressive acquisition strategy under its new CEO. From 2013 to 2017, the company raised an additional $350 million in corporate debt to fund acquisitions, before being acquired by private equity for $1.5 billion in 2017.
Dr. D’Ambra steered AMRI through its growth and international development during a period of dramatic change and challenge in the industry, as the rise of India and China based low-cost copycat companies, coupled with the challenging economic climate of the 2001 through 2012 period, led to a period of consolidation and downsizing. He led the turnaround performance at AMRI’s large scale API plant and drug product parenteral dosage form acquisitions. He managed commercial activities. As a laboratory scientist, Dr. D’Ambra invented processes for the synthesis and manufacture of Allegra and Xyzal in the 1990’s. He led AMRI’s greenfield laboratory expansions into Singapore and India.
Prior to founding AMRI, Dr. D’Ambra was a co-founder of and Vice President, Chemistry at Coromed, Inc., from 1989 to 1991. At Coromed, he established and built the chemistry and biology divisions for this CRO. Dr. D’Ambra began his career at Sterling Drug, Inc., where he worked from 1982 – 1989 as a medicinal chemist, rising to Group Leader and co-project leader. At Sterling, Dr. D’Ambra contributed to several drug discovery programs in the CNS, endocrine and cardiovascular areas. He played a key team role in the discovery of small molecule cannabinoid receptor agonists and helped shepherd at least two other compounds (CNS and cardiovascular) into clinical development. Dr. D’Ambra has authored numerous publications and is inventor on over 30 U.S. patents, including processes for the synthesis of Allegra and Xyzal. Dr. D’Ambra has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2003, he was a national finalist in the healthcare division for Ernst and Young’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
