People on the Move 2013

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Pharma

Dilip Shanghvi is named chairman of the board of directors, Taro Pharmaceutical Industries. Mr. Shanghvi was previously board chairman from September 2010 until his resignation from the board in April 2012. Additionally, James Kedrowski has retired as the company’s interim CEO, and Kal Sundaram has been named new CEO. Mr. Sundaram became a member and chairman of Taro’s board of directors in April 2012; before that, he was CEO of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. from April 2010 to April 2012. Taro (taro.com) is a multinational, science-based pharmaceutical company, dedicated to meeting the needs of its customers through the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of the highest quality healthcare products.
Don DeGolyer is named chief operating officer, pharmaceuticals, Endo Health Solutions Inc. Mr. DeGolyer was president and CEO of Sandoz Inc., the generic division of Novartis. Endo (endo.com) is a U.S.-based specialty healthcare company with four business segments that are focused on branded and generic pharmaceuticals, devices, and services.
Simon Lowth will step down from his role as chief financial officer of AstraZeneca at the end of October to become chief financial officer of the BG Group PLC, a natural gas company. AstraZeneca (astrazeneca.com) is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection, and neuroscience diseases.
Maggie FitzPatrick is appointed chief communications officer and VP of public affairs and corporate communication, Johnson & Johnson. Ms. FitzPatrick was chief communications officer at Cigna. Johnson & Johnson (jnj.com) is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, biologics, diagnostics, medical device, and consumer health companies.
Dr. Michael Grund becomes managing director of Merck Korea, an affiliate of Merck KGaA. Dr. Grund succeeds Juergen Koenig, who becomes president of Merck Russia. Merck KGaA (merck.de) is one of the world’s leading providers of innovative pharmaceuticals, life science tools, and cutting-edge performance materials and technologies.

biotech/biopharma

Dr. Mathias P. Schlichting steps down as chairman of the supervisory board of Mologen AG for health reasons. The remaining members of the board have nominated Stefan ten Doornkaat to serve as Dr. Schlichting’s successor until the company’s ordinary annual general meeting in 2014. At that meeting the board members and Mr. ten Doornkaat intend to elect Gregor Kunz as the new chairman of the board. Mologen (mologen.com) is a biotechnology company headquartered in Berlin that specializes in the research and clinical development of innovative drugs in the fields of oncology and infectious diseases.
Krishna Polu, M.D., is appointed to the newly created position of chief medical officer, CytomX Therapeutics Inc. Dr. Polu previously served as VP, clinical development at Affymax Inc. Debanjan Ray is promoted to VP, business development and alliance management. Mr. Ray joined the company in August 2011 as senior director, head of business development. CytomX (cytomx.com) is a biotechnology company developing the next generation of highly targeted antibody therapeutics.

Specialty pharma

Chad E. Beyer is named president and CEO of Promentis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Beyer was the founder of Solomon Therapeutics, a consulting company. Promentis (promentispharma.com) is a drug-development startup developing treatments for schizophrenia and other central nervous system disorders.
Brian J. G. Pereira, M.D., is appointed president and CEO, Visterra Inc. Dr. Pereira was president and CEO of AMAG Pharmaceuticals from 2006 to 2011. He replaces Steven Brugger, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities. Visterra (visterrainc.com) discovers and develops novel antibodies for the prevention and treatment of infectious and other major diseases.
Wilson W. Cheung becomes chief financial officer and senior VP, finance, SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Cheung was chief compliance officer, Asia Pacific, for Velti Plc. SciClone (sciclone.com) is a U.S.-based, China-focused specialty pharmaceutical company with a product portfolio of therapies for oncology, infectious diseases and cardiovascular, urological, respiratory, and central nervous system disorders.
Jan Fagerberg, M.D., Ph.D., is appointed chief medical officer, ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V. Dr. Fagerberg was VP global development and managing director of Amgen Research for Amgen. Jens Hennecke becomes chief business officer. Mr. Hennecke was senior VP, business development, at Micromet Inc. Ronald Loggers will step down from the company’s board of directors to become acting CEO. Mr. Loggers has been on the board since 2009 and is managing director at Multifund B.V. Gerard Platenburg is promoted to chief operating officer. Mr. Platenburg joined the company in 2009. ISA (isa-pharma.com) is an immunotherapy company developing rationally designed, fully synthetic therapeutic vaccines against cancer and persistent viral infections.
Hagop Youssoufian, M.D., is named executive VP, research and development, Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Youssoufian was president, research and development and chief medical officer at Ziopharm Oncology. Progenics (progenics.com) is developing innovative medicines for oncology, with a pipeline that includes several product candidates in late-stage clinical development.
Carol Satler, M.D., Ph.D., is appointed senior VP of medical and scientific affairs, AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Satler previously served in executive clinical development and medical affairs roles at Pfizer, Sanofi, Forest Labs, and Millennium. Amit Verma becomes VP of marketing. Mr. Verma was global commercial lead for Jevtana at Sanofi. AMAG (amagpharma.com) is a specialty pharmaceutical company that markets Feraheme and MuGard in the United States.
Steven E. Benner, M.D., steps down as senior VP, chief medical officer, and chief compliance officer, Cell Therapeutics Inc., for personal reasons. Nancy Boman, M.D., Ph.D., currently senior VP, clinical development and regulatory affairs, assumes interim responsibility for the oversight of Cell Therapeutics’ ongoing and planned clinical trials of compounds for the treatment of blood cancers. The company has engaged a search firm to assist in an external search for a new chief medical officer and will appoint a new chief compliance officer. Cell Therapeutics (celltherapeutics.com) is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of an integrated portfolio of oncology products aimed at making cancer more treatable.
Hege Hellstrom is appointed VP and head of commercial for Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, Sobi. Mr. Hellstrom spent more than a decade at Baxter and 10 years at Genzyme. Rupert Haynes becomes head of global commercial operations, therapeutic area inflammation. Mr. Haynes joins Sobi from UCB, where he was responsible for that company’s marketing excellence program. Sobi (sobi.com) is an international specialty healthcare company dedicated to rare diseases.

Service suppliers

Ruth Woodrow is promoted to director, Insight Research Group. Ms. Woodrow joined the company two years ago from Synovate Healthcare. Insight (insightrg.com) is a UK-based consultancy established in 1983 that specialises in providing market research to the healthcare sector.
John Robinson has been named VP of payer research for the Healthcare Insights team, MarketVision Research. Mr. Robinson was senior director at Genactis. MarketVision (mv-research.com) is a full-service marketing research firm with offices in Cincinnati, Chicago, Dallas, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia.
Betty Michelson becomes sales solution executive, IMS-Appature Inc. Ms. Michelson was VP, business development for Informed Medical Communications. IMS-Appature (appature.com) is a Seattle-based technology company that provides a cloud-based marketing software platform, Appature Nexus, designed exclusively for healthcare and life sciences companies.
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is named VP and global editorial director for MedPage Today, Everyday Health Inc. Dr. Oransky was exeutive editor, Reuters Health, and independently blogs at Retraction Watch. MedPage Today is a medical news organization serving healthcare professionals; Everyday Health is a digital health and wellness company that attracts more than 40 million people monthly through its Websites, mobile applications, and social media presence.
Tracy Naden becomes managing director, Allidura Consumer, a Chandler Chicco company. Ms. Naden was managing director, consumer, for Twist Marketing. Allidura (chandlerchiccocompanies.com) is a health and wellness communications agency that specializes in creating enduring alliances between brands and those that influence them.