Walgreens general counsel named to Unigene board
BOONTON, N.J. — Unigene Labs, a developer of peptide-based therapeutics, on Wednesday appointed Walgreens' Thomas Sabatino Jr. to its board of directors.
"[Sabatino's] extensive industry experience and impressive track record — specifically, his knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape for pharmaceutical companies — will be invaluable as Unigene continues to execute against its business transformation," Unigene chairman Richard Levy said.
"Unigene has emerged as the leading oral peptide delivery company with validated technology platforms. I am extremely impressed with the management team's progress thus far," said Sabatino, EVP and general counsel for Walgreens.
Sabatino joined Walgreens in September after having held general counsel roles with United Airlines, Schering-Plough, Baxter International and American Medical International.
After beginning his career with a law firm and then moving into corporate law, Sabatino was named president and CEO in 1990 of privately-held medical products manufacturer and distributor Secure Medical. In 1992, he joined American Medical International, a Dallas-based for-profit hospital chain with 40 acute care hospitals. Three years later he rejoined Baxter International and was named SVP and general counsel in 1997. Sabatino moved to Schering-Plough in 2004 as EVP and general counsel for global law and public affairs.
In March 2010, he was appointed general counsel of United Airlines and immediately took a leading role in its merger negotiations with Continental Airlines. Sabatino left United Continental Holdings in 2011 after completion of the merger.
Sabatino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in 1980 and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1983. He is a member of the bar in Massachusetts, Illinois, California and New Jersey. He serves on the board of directors and the executive committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel; serves on the advisory board of Corporate Pro Bono; and is on the General Counsel Committee of the American Bar Association.
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