Vice President and Head of Clinical Development
Darlene Deecher, PhD
Dr. Darlene Deecher is Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at AiViva BioPharma, leading clinical programs in dermatology, ophthalmology, and oncology. She brings more than 30 years of experience in applied research, clinical development, and commercialization across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO, and patient advocacy organizations.
A recognized scientific leader, Dr. Deecher has deep expertise in designing and executing complex Phase II–IV clinical programs and advancing drugs and devices efficiently through regulatory pathways toward registration and commercialization. Prior to AiViva, she held senior clinical leadership roles at Covance (now Fortrea), overseeing late-stage programs in cardiovascular, endocrinology, and renal diseases, and at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where she managed drug and device research funding and served as an FDA liaison.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Deecher spent 16 years at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer) as part of the senior leadership team, contributing to development strategy, life-cycle management, and market launches in women’s health and neuroscience. She began her career at Abbott Laboratories in neuroscience drug discovery.
Dr. Deecher has authored over 100 scientific publications and holds a PhD from Syracuse University, completed postdoctoral training at Cornell University and Albany Medical College, and earned a master’s degree in Regulatory Science and Quality Assurance from Temple University.