Dr. Sigal serves as a senior advisor to select biotechnology companies and is a former Executive Vice President of Bristol-Myers Squibb. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Vir Biotechnology, Affinia Therapeutics and Tessera Therapeutics. Dr. Sigal joined BMS in 1997 and held positions of increasing responsibility in both Discovery Research and Clinical Development before serving as Chief Scientific Officer and head of R&D from 2004 until 2013. He was instrumental in increasing R&D productivity, developing the company's strategy in biologics and acquiring external innovation. He is known for building BMS research into a lead position in the promising area of immuno-oncology.
Under his leadership, fourteen new medicines were brought to market including Baraclude® (Hepatitis B), Orencia® (Rheumatoid Arthritis), Sprycel® (Leukemia), Farxiga (Diabetes), Eliquis® (Anticoagulant), and the first checkpoint inhibitor, Yervoy®(Melanoma). During his tenure, Dr. Sigal was named the best R&D chief in the pharmaceutical industry by Scrip Intelligence.
Dr. Sigal received his M.D. from the University of Chicago in 1981 and trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He served on the faculty of UCSF Medical School from 1988 until 1992. Prior to medical school he studied engineering at Purdue University, where he received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.