Congratulations to Bridgewell Chairwoman Angelika Fretzen!

Angelika, who has served on Bridgewell’s board since November 2007, was recently named one of Mass High Tech's 2013 Women to Watch.

From the Boston Business Journal:

Angelika Fretzen was hired as the first chemist at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Now, 12 years later, she is vice president of pharmaceutical chemistry and development of the company and built a chemistry team that solved one of the most difficult challenges the company has ever faced, resulting in a new medicine.

That new medicine was MD-1100. The first version of the drug could not be stabilized and Fretzen spent many sleepless nights agonizing over how Ironwood had created a drug that was producing great data, but could not be provided to patients. Fretzen and her team created a formula that was stable at room temperature and could be given to patients, a very difficult and complex process.

Fretzen oversaw the chemical, manufacturing and controls (CMC) portion of the regulatory filings in the U.S. and the European Union and the linaclotide drug for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome gained approval in both areas last year.

When she is not serving as the chairwoman of the board of directors for Bridgewell, a nonprofit for people with disabilities, she's mentoring coworkers at Ironwood or volunteering at as a children's martial arts instructor.

Click here to read more about the award and other honorees in the Boston Business Journal.

Congratulations, Angelika and thank you for your commitment to Bridgewell’s mission!