Kendle has created a new medical affairs unit and announced the appointment of Thomas Smith as vice president develop and lead the business.

Kendle's new unit is aimed at providing a dedicated resource for customers throughout the drug development lifecycle, from programme development to feasibility analyses and site identification through post marketing surveillance and adverse event management.

Smith most recently was global medical director for Kendle, with a particular specialty in the central nervous system (CNS) therapeutic area.

It has been a busy week for Bridge Pharmaceuticals as the preclinical contract research organisation (CRO) hired a new chief executive, a new chief financial officer and a new chief scientific officer.

The company named Thomas Oakley as CEO. Prior to joining Bridge, Oakley spent nine years at Covance where his assignments included global vice president finance for the early development group, and global vice president of business development.

In addition, Patrik Jeanmonod becomes CFO after holding the position of vice president of finance at Bridge. Jeanmonod joined Bridge in June last year and was responsible for leading the Finance and IT groups through growth and acquisition of Gene Logic Laboratories Preclinical Services Division.

Finally, Ronald Marler has been selected as CSO and will continue as a member of the Board of Directors. Marler also comes from Covance where he was division vice-president of the North America toxicology services. In his new role as CSO at Bridge, Marler will be responsible for the scientific affairs of the company as well as advisor to the CEO and the Board.

Also in the preclinical services arena, Ricerca Biosciences has appointed Mark Crane as vice president of business development and marketing.

Crane joins the company from Bridge and has held similar positions at Quest Pharmaceutical Services and MDS Pharma Services.

In his new position, he is responsible for business development and marketing of all services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

In other related news, Peter Benton has been named interim chief operating officer at Etrials, a CRO specialised in eClinical software and services.

And last but not least, Xoma has named a new president, CEO and member of the board of directors.

Steven Engle, who was previously chairman of the board and chief executive officer of La Jolla Pharmaceutical, succeeds Jack Castello, the company's former chief executive who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Castello will remain with the company as non-executive chairman of the board during a transition period, expected to run through October.