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“Our greatest success is that there are millions of people throughout the world who benefit from our medications.
They are our living legacy and the reason that we exist.”

Frank Baldino Jr., Ph.D., Founder, Cephalon, Inc

Frank Baldino, Jr., Ph.D.,  founded Cephalon in 1987 and led the company from a privately held startup to one of the top ten biotechnology companies in the world. He was a recognized pioneer in the biotechnology industry, but his most enduring legacy will be his accomplishments as a civic leader, a mentor, a philanthropist, and most notably, a husband and father.

Born May 13, 1953, Dr. Baldino was raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Muhlenberg College and received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Temple University. From 1981-1987, he served as a senior research biologist in the medical products department at E.I. duPont de Nemours & Company, where he was responsible for developing research strategies for identifying novel neuropharmaceutical agents. An accomplished scientist, he authored more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Journal of Neuroscience Research, and Brain Research.

In 1987, Dr. Baldino founded Cephalon, a biotechnology company with an initial research focus in neurologic disorders. Almost 25 years later, Cephalon provides more than 150 medicines to patients in nearly 100 countries. In 2007, Cephalon first joined the Fortune 1000 ranking of America’s largest corporations. Throughout his leadership at Cephalon, Dr. Baldino implemented his vision to bring innovative medicines to patients around the world who suffer from disease for which there is no current cure.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Baldino received numerous awards and broad recognition for professional achievements. Most recently in 2007, he was named one of the “100 Most Inspiring People” by PharmaVOICE, and he was included in a list of entrepreneurs responsible for redefining the life sciences industry through innovative approaches to improving technologies, processes, services and ultimately patient care. Dr. Baldino received the first Hubert J.P. Schoemaker Leadership Award, which recognizes a leader in the biosciences community who best exemplifies the spirit of innovation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Baldino’s passion was exemplified in his commitment to the bioscience community as well as the Greater Philadelphia region that was his home. He chaired the Executive Council of the Harvard Division of Sleep Medicine and was a member of the Board of Trustees at Temple University, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and The Franklin Institute. In addition, Dr. Baldino served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; BioAdvance Biotechnology Greenhouse Corp.; Quaker BioVentures, L.P.; Valeritas, Inc.; Viropharma Incorporated; and Pennsylvania BIO. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for NicOx, S.A., and Acusphere, Inc.

Dr. Baldino was a member of the Healthcap Advisors Board and the MPM Capital and Vantage Point Venture Partners Advisory Committee. He also held several adjunct academic appointments and served on the Muhlenberg College Board of Observers.

In 2010, Dr. Baldino and his wife, Sandra, launched Generocity.org, a charitable initiative dedicated to maximizing philanthropic giving to a diverse group of not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. Generocity.org has a particular emphasis on micro-giving, empowering individuals of all income levels to become philanthropists.

• Memorial website