SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS
Bob A. Rappaport, MD
Dr. Rappaport has 20 years’ experience at the Food and Drug Administration, with the last 12 years as Director of the Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Addiction Products Division at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. There he led a large team of physicians, scientists and project managers in the Division that’s expected to review Bridge’s drug candidates. In 2014, he Received the FDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Rappaport graduated from and completed his medical training at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is board certified in neurology and sleep medicine. He is the recipient of numerous awards and has established research initiatives at the FDA in the areas of anesthesia, analgesia, and addiction.
Joseph V. Pergolizzi, Jr., MD
Dr. Pergolizzi is the co-founder of NEMA Research, Inc., a specialty Contract Research Organization; he is also a former subcommittee member of the FDA’s Safe Use Initiative for Analgesics, and chairman of PAINWEEK and Consultant to National Pain Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Pergolizzi is the former director of business development and financial affairs for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Clinical Trials Unit. Dr. Pergolizzi is a top development and regulatory consultant for blockbuster-branded analgesics, such as Nucynta, Cymbalta and Butrans.
Robert B. Raffa, PhD
Dr. Raffa is Professor Emeritus & Past Chair, Temple University School of Pharmacy (Philadelphia, PA) and Adjunct Professor, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy (Tucson, AZ). Dr. Raffa was a Research Fellow and Team Leader for an analgesics discovery group at Johnson & Johnson and was involved in the elucidation of the mechanism of action of tramadol. He is co-holder of several patents, including the combination of tramadol with acetaminophen.
He has published more than 300 papers in refereed journals, and co-authored or edited several books on pharmacology and thermodynamics, and is a Co-Editor of Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. He is a past president of the Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society and is the recipient of research and teaching awards.
MICHAEL FISHMAN, MD, MBA
Dr. Fishman is a double board-certified Anesthesiologist and Interventional Pain Specialist at the Center for Interventional Pain and Spine (CIPS), where he also serves as Director of Research. He also holds a Master in Business Administration from Drexel University. Dr. Fishman practices comprehensive pain medicine utilizing neuromodulation, medications, medical cannabis, and a host of other therapies. Dr. Fishman has designed and/or participated in over 25 clinical trials in the field of pain medicine and neurostimulation. Dr. Fishman has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed abstracts and publications and presented his work at numerous local, regional, and international society meetings.