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N. Anthony Coles is an American physician, biotechnology entrepreneur, and pharmaceutical leader. Since 2018, Coles has served as chair of the board of directors for Cerevel Therapeutics.

N. Anthony Coles was born on May 17, 1960, in Roanoke, Virginia, to Neavelle Anthony Coles, an accountant and minister, and Leona Rogers Coles, an office manager for a local telephone company.^[1] Coles graduated from DuVal High School in Lanham, Maryland.^[2]

Coles earned his bachelor's degree at Johns Hopkins University, and his medical degree from Duke University. His medical school alma mater awarded him the Duke School of Medicine 2024 Transformational Leadership Award.^[3]

Coles also earned a master's degree in public health from Harvard University, completed his cardiology and internal medicine training at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School.^[4]

In 2021, Coles was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.^[5]

Since 2018, Coles has served as chair of the board of directors for Cerevel Therapeutics, a company focused on neurological disease treatment. From September 2019 to June 2023, Coles was Cerevel's chief executive officer of Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., the parent entity of Cerevel Therapeutics, Inc.^[6][7] In 2020, Coles led Cerevel's effort to raise $445 million for brain drugs, the third largest biotech public listing at that time (after Legend Biotech and Moderna).^[8] In May 2023, Coles resigned from his position as CEO, yet retained his role as board chairman of Cerevel.^[9]

Coles served as president and chief executive officer, and a member of Onyx Pharmaceuticals board of directors, from 2008 to 2012, and as president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board from 2012 to 2013.^[10][11] Coles orchestrated the sale of Onyx to Amgen ($AMGN) for $10.4 billion.^[12]

Coles has served as chair and CEO of TRATE Enterprises, a privately held real estate management and ventures company, since 2013.^[13]

In October 2014, Coles co-founded (with researcher Susan Lindquist) and served as chair and CEO of Yumanity Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.^[10][12][1]

In 2005, Coles joined NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as company COO and president, and in 2006, was named chief executive officer.^[14]

In addition, Coles held various roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb (senior vice president of strategy and policy and senior vice president of marketing and medical affairs, neuroscience/infectious diseases/dermatology where he was responsible for a $1.8 billion portfolio); Merck & Co, Inc. (oversaw the marketing of ACE inhibitors to cardiologists), and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(senior vice president of commercial operations-pharmaceutical products).^[2][14]

He is a former director of CRISPR Therapeutics AG;^[15] Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings; Campus Crest Communities, Inc.; and McKesson Corporation; and currently serves on the board of directors of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.^[13]

Coles is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Black Economic Alliance.^[16] He is a Trustee Emeriti of The Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees;^[17] a former member of the Harvard Medical School Advisory Board;^[18] council chair for the National Museum of African American History and Culture; a member of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; member of the board of directors on the Council on Foreign Relations; and member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.^[10][5]

Coles and his wife, Robyn Coles,^[19] have three sons. Their oldest son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, at the age of 12, and underwent a bone marrow transplant protocol at Memorial Sloan Kettering.^[11][20]