News from Raptor, Cangene and Merck & Co – People on the move
Cangene has hired Kevin Taylor as VP of business development.
Previously, Taylor was VP of business development at Adolor Corporation, where he led partnerships with companies such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
"With the addition of Kevin to our senior management team we begin to move into the next phase,” said president and CEO John Sedor.
“The first phase was to right the organisational structure, redirect our R&D efforts and re-establish our entrepreneurial culture. We are now finalising a cohesive plan in which strategic business development, coupled with supporting R&D, is the key driver for Cangene's future; Kevin brings the skills and experience to actuate that plan.”
Merck & Co has named Michael Holston as chief ethics and compliance office.
In his new position he will be responsible for driving compliance. He takes the role over from Richard Bowles, who will retire after 35 years of service.
Chairman and CEO Kenneth Frazier said: “Ethical business practices and good corporate governance are important to us and our stakeholders, and we are committed to adhering to the laws and regulations governing our activities worldwide”.
Holston added: “I look forward to working with dedicated and talented people across the company, helping to champion Merck's high ethical and compliance standards so the company can focus on what it does best – discovering and developing innovative new medicines and vaccines."
Raptor Pharmaceutical has named Henk Doude van Troostwijk as general manager of European commercial operations.
In his new role, Doude van Troostwijk will focus on the launch of RP103 for nephropathic cystinosis – currently awaiting EMA (European Medicines Agency) approval.
Prior to joining the firm, he worked for Genzyme as business unit director of oncology for haematology transplantation in Northern Europe.
Patrick Reichenberger, VP of commercial operations, said: “His expertise in gaining market access, working with orphan products and leading commercial teams will be critical as we prepare for the potential launch of RP103 in Europe."
Ocular therapy developer Clearside Biomedical has made William Humphries a new independent director.
Currently the CEO of US holding company Merx, Humphries also previously served for GSK and Allergan.
“Having served under Bill at Stiefel, I know first-hand how talented he is in the global commercialisation of products in today's healthcare environment and his experience is already providing an important impact to Clearside Biomedical,” said Daniel White, president and CEO.
Sinovac Biotech has appointed Meng Mei as an independent director.
Mei is director and founder of TusPark, a science park established by Tsinghua University in 1994.
He will also join China-based Sinovac’s compensation committee, as well as the audit and corporate governance committees.
Weidong Yin, chairman and CEO, said: "Meng’s wealth of experience in general business management and investment as well as his access to a network of local resources among businesses and governments will be invaluable to the strategic growth of Sinovac and we believe that he will make significant contributions to the company”.
