Pharma manufacturing: People on the move
US-based biotech Abraxis BioScience has appointed Dr Edward Geehr as its executive vice president of operations.
In this newly created post Geehr will take responsibility for Abraxis’ commercial, manufacturing and marketing operations.
Prior to taking the job at Abraxis Geehr was president of Allez Spine, a US medical device company. He was also founding chairman and chief medical officer of IPC -- The Hospitalist Company, a medical services company that manages some hospital-based medical practices in the US.
In addition he served as senior vice president of UniHealth America and is still a member of MedManage Systems and LifeScript’s boards of directors.
Sheri McCoy has been appointed as worldwide chairman, Pharmaceuticals Group at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), succeeding Christine Poon.
McCoy has worked at J&J since 1982 when she took the post of associate scientist in R&D at the company’s the Personal Products business.
Since then she has risen up the ladder within R&D, being appointed global president of the Baby and Wound Care franchises in 2002.
Most recently she served as worldwide chairman, Surgical Care Group, in which capacity she managed J&J’s surgical franchises and medical devices and diagnostics organisations outside of North America.
McCoy’s lack of familiarity with the pharmaceutical sector is not viewed as a hindrance by J&J, with CEO William Weldon emphasising the value of her extensive R&D knowledge and breadth of experience.
Alex Gorsky is to replace McCoy as worldwide chairman, Surgical Care Group.
Drug delivery specialist Acusphere has appointed Michael Slater as its senior vice president, regulatory affairs and operations.
Prior to the appointment Slater worked as senior vice president, operations at Acusphere and also dealt with regulatory affairs before Dennis Bucceri was appointed in 2007. He has also overseen operations and regulatory affairs at Biogen and Anika Therapeutics.
Jonathan Dordick has been appointed director of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) at Rensselaer in the US.
Dordick’s experience in both academic research and entrepreneurship is seen as central to growing the reputation and research funding of the $80m research centre.
He has nearly 22 years of research experience, over which period he has launched companies and developed technologies such as a biochip to eliminate animal testing.
