Kosan Biosciences, Inc. has expanded its executive management team, adding two new members: Peter Licari, Ph.D. has been promoted to senior vice president, manufacturing and operations from vice president, process sciences, and Pieter Timmermans, Ph.D., senior vice president, drug discovery and preclinical development, whose role has been expanded from senior vice president, preclinical development. Dr. Licari and Dr. Timmermans report to Robert G. Johnson, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Kosan’s chief executive officer.

Dr. Licari joined the company in 1998, and has played a pivotal role in creating Kosan’s scale-up and manufacturing organization for polyketides, including a leadership role in delivering all five of the compounds Kosan is now evaluating in clinical trials. Prior to joining Kosan, he held various management positions with Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories in Boston and BASF Bioresearch Corp., as well as gained development experience at Merck.

Dr. Timmermans joined Kosan in February 2005 and has focused his research efforts on advancing compounds towards the clinic, including Kosan’s latest clinical candidate, KOS-2187, an agent to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Previously he was vice president, pharmacology and preclinical development at Amgen, subsequent to its acquisition of Tularik, Inc. Dr. Timmermans has also served in various management positions at The Dupont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.

Serving with Dr. Timmermans and Dr. Licari on the executive management team will be Dr. Johnson and Margaret Horn, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. In addition, Kosan has retained David Johnson as its interim chief financial officer. Mr. Johnson has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting, including his role as chief financial officer of Pain Therapeutics.