Novo Nordisk, Rheosciences, ImClone, Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Biogen Idec and Human Genome Sciences, - People on the move
Biogen Idec and Human Genome Sciences, have all had people on the
move in the biotech world.
Novo Nordisk is reshuffling key management staff within its European and American operations and has appointed Martin Soeters as senior vice president of the European Region, effective from 1 January 2008. Martin Soeters will be replaced by Jerzy Gruhn who will take up the position as senior vice president of Novo Nordisk North America from the same date. Soeters is currently senior vice president of Novo Nordisk America and president of the Danish company's US affiliate Novo Nordisk Inc, while Gruhn is currently vice president of the Eastern European region. Kåre Schultz, executive vice president and chief operating officer said: "We are making the changes at a time when Novo Nordisk is doing well in both Europe and North America and are confident that we have the right leadership to secure our future growth in the two regions." This week, another Danish company, Rheosciences, made a new appointment within its management team. Swami Subramaniam took the newly created role of director of business development, while continuing in his position as head of Indian operations which he started in January last year. Dr Subramaniam will be responsible for establishing strategic relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as Rheoscience leverages its growing portfolio of intellectual property assets in obesity and diabetes and expands its pipeline, the company said. Rheoscience's lead product, the oral anti-diabetic drug balaglitazone, entered Phase III clinical trials in August 2007. Meanwhile, New York-based ImClone System has recently appointed John Johnson as the new CEO, filling a position vacant since October. Johnson previously held senior positions at Johnson & Johnson, most recently as chairman of the company's biopharmaceuticals group. ImClone also sees the departure of Ana Stancic, its senior vice president of finance, who joins Omrix Biopharmaceuticals where she will become CFO on 1 October. Stancic was with ImClone since 2004. ImClone's management restructure started in October when billionaire Carl Icahn took control of the company, ousting the interim chief executive and the firm's chairman. Meanwhile, biotech company Biogen Idec recently named Paul Clancy as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective 13 August. Clancy is currently senior vice president of finance. In other news, last week, Kevin Starr handed in his resignation effective as of 30 August from the board of directors of Human Genome Sciences to "devote more time to his other business and personal interests". The company appointed Tuan Ha-Ngoc to replace Starr on the audit committee of the board.
