Joe Stauffer

Dr. Stauffer is a deeply seasoned executive physician and anesthesiologist with a rare blend of direct FDA regulatory experience and a strong record in pain product development. His career began with ten years as a Naval Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy, practicing frontline medicine for eight years and honorably discharged as a Lieutenant Commander.

He subsequently joined the FDA as a Medical Review Officer in the Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Division, where he reviewed INDs and NDAs for opiate, non-opiate, and novel pain compounds. He then transitioned to industry as Global Medical Director at Abbott Laboratories, overseeing Phase I–III trials for pain products and novel compounds.

Dr. Stauffer led the clinical development program for EMBEDA®, the first FDA-approved abuse-deterrent long-acting opioid, while at Alpharma. He led global teams at Alpharma and Ikaria, both of which were acquired in $1.6 Billion cash transactions.

He is a founding member of IMMPACT (Initiative on Methods, Measurement and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials), a critical public-private partnership with the FDA and NIH focused on optimizing analgesic trial design. He completed residency training in Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital and maintained an Adjunct Assistant Professorship there through 2016.