Cobra Biomanufacturing has just revealed the appointment of Simon Saxby as the company's new chief operating officer (COO).

In his new role with Cobra, Saxby will run the contract manufacturing side of the group, as well as join the Board of Directors.

He joins the firm from his most recent position as CEO of Alpha Biologics, a Malaysian contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) with an office and laboratories in Cambridge UK.

At the same time, David Thatcher has stepped down as Cobra's CEO, a position in which he has served since 2002. He will, however, continue to provide the firm with guidance on scientific affairs and business development as a non executive director and he will also act as consultant for Cobra's oral vaccine project.

"He has driven our technology, managed the business and has acted as head of business development. He has risen to many challenges over the last few years and will be available to support Simon as he takes over running our contract manufacturing business", said company chairman Peter Fothergill, in a statement announcing his departure.

In other CMO moves, after working for Draxis Health since 1998, Dan Brazier has made his way onto the top rung of the ladder at the company, after succeeding Martin Barkin to the CEO post after he retired on 1 January.

As part of the move up, Jean-Pierre Robert has replaced Brazier as COO, although he will also continue to serve in his current position as president of Draxis Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Robert has been with the firm since 2005.

Draxis Health makes specialty pharmaceutical products globally in three categories: sterile products, non-sterile products and radiopharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical contract manufacturing services are provided through the Draxis Pharma division.

In other news, James Kramer has joined BioReliance as vice president of operations, US Biologics.

In his new role Kramer will have direct responsibility for programme management, quality, GMP-cell banking, clearance services, molecular biology, cell biology microbiology, virology, in-vivo studies, support services and facilities.

Kramer joins the firm from Talecris plasma Resources, and previously held positions at Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics and Pacific Hemostasis Division of Curtin Matheson Scientific.

The firm provides contract biologics safety testing, toxicology, viral manufacturing and laboratory animal diagnostic services to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries worldwide.

In December the company saw another high profile staff changeover, when David Dodd joined BioReliance the firm as president, CEO and chairman of the board, after previously serving as president and CEO of Serologicals.

He replaced Charlie Harwood, who was working as executive chairman and interim CEO of BioReliance, and who now continues to serve on the board.

Recently, Quintiles promoted Dipti Amin to the role of senior vice president of its Strategic Research and Safety Services (SRS) and Medical and Regulatory Services divisions, effective immediately.

A long-time Quintiles employee, she was most recently senior vice president, Global Medical Services, Regulatory Affairs and Medical Writing, and Strategic Drug Development Unit.

She will report to Jeff Thomis, president of Global Clinical Development Services, who said: "Combining SRS with Medical and Scientific Services and Regulatory Affairs under Dipti's leadership will enable us to have greater strategic expertise in this growing market and maintain our leadership position in the safety environment".

The SRS unit focuses on conducting late phase and safety studies.

Rival contract research organisation (CRO) Premier Research Group has also made a personnel change with the appointment of Patrick Melvin as senior director of Clinical Trial Management, specialising in oncology-related research.

In this position, Melvin will lead the operations, strategic planning and corporate development of Premier Research's oncology business, which the firm is actively trying to expand.

Meanwhile, another CRO, Parexel, has elected Eduard Holdener to its board of directors.

Previously, Holdener held the role of global head of Pharmaceutical Drug Development at Roche and also worked as the company's chief medical officer.

Most recently he was elected as non-executive Chairman of biotech firm NovImmune.