Harvey J. Berger, M.D.
American Physician-Scientist, Biotechnology Executive, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Governing Trustee, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Former Executive Chairman, Medinol, Inc.
Founder, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Former President, Research and Development, Centocor, Inc.
Former Professor, Emory University School of Medicine & Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Harvey Berger is a governing trustee at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. He brings over three decades of biotechnology and entrepreneurial experience to the Heartlanta team as the founder and former CEO of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and former Executive Chairman for Medinol, Inc.
Dr. Berger founded ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1991 and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for twenty-five years. He then became advisor to the Board through 2016 and its Chairman and CEO Emeritus until 2019. Dr. Berger led the company’s growth from a start-up to an integrated global-oncology company that has served patients worldwide. In early 2017, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. acquired ARIAD for $5.2 billion, becoming part of Takeda Oncology. Under Dr. Harvey Berger’s leadership , ARIAD developed state-of-the-art treatments for various forms of chronic and acute leukemia, lung cancer and other rare cancers, designing small-molecule drugs that overcome resistance to existing cancer medicines.
Dr. Berger served as Executive Chairman for Medinol, Inc. from January 2017 through the end of 2018. There he focused on business development and strategy, new business and technology initiatives and efficiency efforts during global expansion for the company. Prior to founding ARIAD, Dr. Harvey Berger held several executive management positions at Centocor, Inc., including Executive Vice President and President of the Research and Development Division, from 1986 to 1991, where he helped to develop treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Throughout his medical career, Dr. Harvey Berger has also held senior academic positions at Yale University, Emory University and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Berger published over 150 original papers, editorials, reviews and chapters in scientific and medical journals. and worked with academic and industry collaborators to develop novel techniques for quantitative radionuclide imaging of the heart, including single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging of myocardial perfusion with thallium-201 and sestamibi. While at Emory, led a joint development program with General Electric Medical Systems for cardiovascular SPECT imaging and new methods of noninvasive stress testing.
Dr. Harvey Berger’s years of experience in biotechnology have been invaluable for the Heartlanta team. Dr. Berger’s expertise and industry knowledge has been instrumental in creating a Class 1 medical device and bringing it to market.
Dr. Harvey Berger currently lives in Palm Beach with his wife and two daughters. Dr. Berger's wife, Chrysanthi, was a professional violinist and concertmaster at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art (New York). Their older daughter, Nicole Elizabeth Berger, is a drama student at LaGuardia and has performed in nine films over the past 10 years (www.nicoleberger.com). She has trained as a classical pianist since age 6. Their younger daughter, Isabella Berger, is also a student in contemporary and hip-hop dance and is studying drums.