CivicaRx's first CEO, Martin VanTrieste, talks about the company's ambitions for 2019 and beyond

When Martin VanTrieste left his executive role at AmGen, he said he was retiring. He’d started out as a pharmacist, working in formulation development for a large pharmaceutical company, and went on to ultimately become the chief quality officer of a drug giant. But earlier this year, he jumped on an intriguing opportunity: A group of hospitals wanted to start a drug company in order to stabilize the availability and cost of life-saving generic drugs called CivicaRX. Van Trieste agreed to lead it without drawing a salary. “I always felt a desire to serve patients. It’s always been how I operate,” VanTrieste said. “This was an opportunity where I could give back and serve patients.”