Blackstone Takes on Dedicated Healthcare Team

New York – The Blackstone Group announced today the creation of Blackstone Healthcare Partners, LLC. The new group includes healthcare veterans Lodewijk de Vink, Alex Erdeljan, and Doug Rogers, all with many years of direct experience in both the healthcare and private equity sectors. Blackstone Healthcare Partners will be the focal point of Blackstone’s efforts in sourcing, analyzing and overseeing investments in the area of pharmaceuticals and medical products on a global basis.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, President and CEO of Blackstone, said: “We believe there is enormous long-term potential in the healthcare sector. It is a large and growing part of the global economy.” He added: “Lodewijk, Alex and Doug are highly experienced healthcare executives who bring us deep industry knowledge and contacts.”

Lodewijk de Vink has spent virtually the whole of his career in the healthcare sector, retiring in June 2000 as Chairman, President and CEO of Warner-Lambert Company. He joined Warner-Lambert as President of International Operations in 1988, was elected President in 1991 and then Chairman and CEO in May 1999. Prior to that he was with Schering-Plough for twenty years, rising to President of Schering International. He has served as a board member of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and its chairman in 1995, as a board member of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and chairman in 1998/99, and a member of the boards of Trilateral Commission, the Business Roundtable, the French American Business Council, and was US Chair of the 1998 TransAtlantic Business Dialogue. In 1990 he was appointed to the President’s Export Council.

Aleksandar (Alex) Erdeljan spent most of his career with R.P. Scherer between 1978 and 1998, becoming Chairman, President and CEO in 1996. He started at Scherer in 1978 and was appointed Director of Corporate Development in 1986 making him responsible for Scherer’s worldwide M&A activities. Mr. Erdeljan is a board member of Eurand Pharmaceuticals and was formerly on the boards of NextPharma Technologies, Cardinal Health Inc., Battelle Pharma, and MedPointe Inc.

Doug Rogers’ career has also been exclusively in the healthcare sector, starting with Kidder Peabody in 1978 and culminating in his appointment as a managing director with Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette’s healthcare merchant banking group most recently. Mr. Rogers is on the boards of Charles River Laboratories and Computerized Medical Systems.