Targacept Inc. said today that Don deBethizy has resigned as chief executive and president, effective immediately. He also stepped down from its board of directors.Targacept is an anchor tenant in the Piedmont Triad Research Park in downtown Winston-Salem. It develops drugs based on its understanding of nicotinic receptors to treat diseases of the central nervous system.
Gayle Anderson, president and chief executive of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, said deBethizy helped put the local community in a prominent place on the nation's biotechnology map.
"He has been a cheerleader for Winston-Salem and for creating a knowledge-based economy here," Anderson said. "We will miss his energy, enthusiasm and vision."
