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La Jolla, CA
Erol Onel – Leadership in Pharmaceutical Drug Development
Physician and pharmaceutical executive Dr. Erol Onel, MD, has a proven record of success in leading market-focused initiatives across several therapeutic areas. From 2020 to 2024, he served as chief medical officer of Cali Biosciences, an international biopharmaceutical firm with offices in San Diego, California, and China. Dr. Onel previously held leadership positions at Heron Therapeutics, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. He is particularly adept at speeding drugs and devices to market and has led clinical trials and regulatory reviews for four new drug approvals in the United States and Europe that have collectively benefited over 10 million patients. Dr. Onel has also compiled clinical trial communication along with literature assessments and medical affairs programs to author dozens of articles and book chapters to help hospital personnel better utilize these products.
As vice president of clinical research for pain, central nervous system, and oncology at Heron Therapeutics, Erol Onel, MD, created development plans and educational material to secure approval for non-opioid combination products in the U.S. and Europe. He presented materials at conferences hosted by professional organizations, including the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the International Anesthesia Research Society. Dr. Onel also chaired several conference sessions, including the Session on Sperm Function and Fertility at the 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Andrology.
Erol Onel’s research articles have appeared in publications such as Fertility and Sterility, Journal of Urology, Clinical Drug Investigation, and American Surgeon. He received First Prize in the William J. Toland Essay Competition at the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Illinois Urologic Society.
Prior to working in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Onel was managing partner of a private urology practice in Massachusetts. He also served as assistant professor of urology at Andover Urology and at Tufts University/New England Medical Center, where he was a two-time Teacher of the Year and founded the school’s Andrology Laboratory.
Dr. Onel completed a clinical and research fellowship in urology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and received his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Qualifications and Experience
Education & Training
Albert Einstein
Class of 1992
Williams College
BA, Philosophy and Biology/Science and Technology Studies, 1984 – 1988
Professional Memberships
American Urological Association – AUA
Member
American Medical Association – AMA
Member
American Society of Reproductive Medicine – ASRM
Member
Publications
PubMed
The safety of liposome bupivacaine, a novel local analgesic formulation.
Clin J Pain
Viscusi ER, Sinatra R, Onel E, Ramamoorthy SL
2/1/2014
34 citations
Pharmacokinetic profile of liposome bupivacaine injection following a single administration at the surgical site.
Clin Drug Investig
Hu D, Onel E, Singla N, Kramer WG, Hadzic A
2/1/2013
51 citations
A randomized, double-blind, dose-ranging study comparing wound infiltration of DepoFoam bupivacaine, an extended-release liposomal bupivacaine, to bupivacaine HCl for postsurgical analgesia in total knee arthroplasty.
Knee
Bramlett K, Onel E, Viscusi ER, Jones K
10/1/2012
117 citations