CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards

Can you introduce yourself and ContraFect Corporation for us? I am the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at ContraFect Corporation, a publicly-traded biotechnology start-up focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics for life-threatening, drug-resistant infections. In many ways what has brought ContraFect to this exciting point in its evolution is similar to what has brought me to this point in my career after 20+ years in the life sciences industry. We share an entrepreneurial spirit and unwavering focus that motivates us to continue towards a common vision while overcoming hurdles and challenges to ultimately deliver with enthusiasm. This is how we started, this is who we are and this is what will continue to sustain us, well into the future. Time and again from my roots as a child of Greek immigrant parents, who were professionals and small business owners, through my first business venture after graduating college and subsequent various positions of increasing responsibility, I embraced every opportunity to build my legal and business “chops”. As ContraFect’s chief legal counsel and as a member of the executive leadership team participating in the overall management of the corporation, I am responsible for ensuring that ContraFect is always in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to a publicly-traded company engaged in the practice of translating lab discoveries into patient care. Our executive team is led by our recently appointed CEO, Dr. Roger Pomerantz, an infectious disease physician who brings a wealth of experience in the pharma industry. I remain mindful of our desire to assist in improving patient outcomes as I counsel and partner with directors, officers and corporate colleagues, to realize company goals and carry out Roger’s vision for ContraFect. How is ContraFect advancing in the game of biotechnology and moving towards the finish line of obtaining a successful treatment for life-threatening, drug-resistant infectious diseases? Generally speaking, antibiotics prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to their use, and the antibiotic is no longer effective. Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels all over the world. An increasing list of infections are becoming harder and sometimes impossible to treat, as antibiotics become less potent. Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again result in death. ContraFect has evolved into a clinical- stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing potential novel therapeutic direct lytic agents (DLAs) which possess a new medical modality for treating these dangerous bacterial infections. DLAs are not antibiotics – they do not appear to be affected by resistant mutations and directly lyse bacterial cells immediately upon contact. The biotechnology field is quite challenging for all players – companies face many obstacles along the road to bringing a new product to market and only a fraction of them are able to survive long enough. Despite all of these challenges, ContraFect has achieved ABOUT NATALIE BOGDANOS Natalie Bogdanos is General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Data Protection Officer of ContraFect Corporation. She also served as a member of the Interim Office of the Chief Executive Officer in 2017. Ms. Bogdanos has more than 20 years of in-depth legal experience across many areas of law, including: litigation, corporate governance, securities, financing transactions, regulatory compliance, human resources, data privacy, corporate disclosure, promotional review, complex transaction negotiation and intellectual property. 14 of those years of experience have been attained while serving as the chief legal officer of publicly traded companies. Prior to joining ContraFect, Ms. Bogdanos served as a legal consultant for Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Before consulting, she served as Associate General Counsel at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). At MSKCC, she held a joint appointment with the Office of the General Counsel and the Office of Technology Development (OTD), providing legal counsel and guidance to various departments throughout the institution while having sole responsibility for the legal oversight of the OTD. Previously, Ms. Bogdanos served as General Counsel at Enzo Biochem, Inc., a publicly traded international biotechnology & life sciences company focused on developing research tools, diagnostics & therapeutics, and providing clinical test services to the medical community. After graduating law school, Ms. Bogdanos worked as an associate at Amster, Rothstein & Ebenstein where her practice focused on all intellectual property matters. Ms. Bogdanos has also served as a faculty member at the Practising Law Institute. Prior to attending law school, she was a research technician at the Public Health Research Institute and also worked at New York- Presbyterian Queens and Mount Sinai Queens hospitals. Ms. Bogdanos is an attorney licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She is admitted to practice law in New York, the United States District Court, Southern & Eastern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Ms. Bogdanos received her Juris Doctor from New York Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in Biology, with honors, from Queens College of the City University of New York. Q Q USA 17 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards 2019