Justin Gover has over twenty-five years of experience in leadership positions in the biotechnology industry in the UK and the US. He was the founding Chief Executive Officer of GW Pharmaceuticals plc, which was acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc in May 2021. Justin served as CEO and a Board Director of GW from the company’s inception in 1999 until its sale to Jazz.
GW is a world leader in cannabinoid science and successfully developed and obtained approval in the US and Europe for Epidiolex, a first-in-class treatment in the field of childhood-onset epilepsy. Epidiolex represented a historic breakthrough as the first plant-derived cannabinoid medicine ever to be approved by FDA. It is now approved to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex.
Justin led GW from London, UK from 1999-2015, at which time he relocated to San Diego, CA to open the company’s U.S. headquarters. He now resides full-time in San Diego with his wife, Jamie, and two teenage girls, Lily & Mia.
From 2018-2021, Justin served on the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). He has been a member of the Young Presidents Organization since 2012. Mr. Gover holds an M.B.A. from the INSEAD business school in France and a BSc (Hons) from Bristol University, UK.
Since the time of early clinical development of Epidiolex, Justin developed a passion for the epilepsy community and the quest for a desperately needed cure. Justin hopes to bring his professional experience and personal commitment to epilepsy to further the mission of CURE Epilepsy.