Merck KGaA rearranges its executive board amid biosimilar surge

Chutes and Ladders

Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word--or the bad--from your shop to Michael Gibney (email | Twitter) or Emily Mullin (email | Twitter) and we will feature it here at the end of each week.

Merck KGaA rearranges its executive board amid biosimilar surge

In an executive shuffle, Merck KGaA announced that Stefan Oschmann was promoted to deputy CEO and vice chairman of the executive board, while Belén Garijo was bumped up to the executive board, taking charge of the pharma business. Fresh from writing off one of its top late-stage programs, Merck KGaA stepped up with a revised comeback plan, detailing plans to invest about $500 million in a late-stage effort to develop new biosimilars while scouting for a major-league partner to come in on its PD-L1 immuno-oncology program. More

Merck KGaA
Belén Garijo joined the executive board.


Takeda
Christophe Bianchi will head the Millennium oncology unit.

Pharma

> Takeda named Christophe Bianchi the head of its Millennium oncology unit in Cambridge. Story

> NOXXON Pharma has appointed Don Munoz as chief financial officer. Release

> Innate Pharma named Pierre Dodion its chief medical officer and part of its executive committee. Release

> Dr. Judith Johnson joined AMAG Pharmaceuticals as its vice president of pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology. Release

> Thermo Fisher ($TMO) appointed Dr. Andrea Califano, Dr. Arnold Levine and Dr. Aviv Regev to its scientific advisory board. Release

Biotech

> Agilent Technologies ($A) announced that Mike McMullen will succeed William Sullivan as CEO on March 18, 2015. Release

> OvaScience ($OVAS) has appointed Jeffrey Young as chief financial officer. Release

> Adam Koppel has joined Trevena's ($TRVN) board of directors. Release

> Frances Keller has rejoined Zafgen's ($ZFGN) board of directors and will be a member of the company's audit committee. Release

> Nexvet has appointed Ashraf Hanna and Joseph McCracken to its board of directors. Release

> Relmada Therapeutics has appointed Christopher James as senior director of clinical development. Release

> Corium International ($CORI) has appointed Paul Goddard to the company's board of directors. Release

> Five Prime Therapeutics ($FPRX) has appointed Dr. Robert Sikorski as vice president of global clinical development. Release

> Nurix has named Dr. Arthur Sands as chief executive officer. Release

Neumedicines appointed David Morash as president and to the newly created position of chief strategy officer. Release

IXICO appointed Susan Lowther to the board as chief financial officer, effective Oct. 1. Release

Nora Therapeutics named Sandra Shpilberg vice president of strategic marketing and commercial planning. Release

> Epizyme appointed Dr. Peter Ho as its chief development officer and Michael Shih as its vice president of business development. Release

> ImmunoGen brought on Sandra Poole as its senior vice president of technical operations. Release

> Kevin Sarney joined Enumeral as the company's vice president of finance and its chief accounting officer. Release

> Alnylam ($ALNY) appointed Karen Anderson as its senior vice president and chief human resources officer; Laurie Keating as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary; and Dr. Marko Kozul as its vice president of strategy. Release

> Elan Ezickson joined Scholar Rock as its chief operating officer and head of corporate development. Release

> Antares Pharma bumped Robert Apple up to be its chief operating officer. Release

> Array BioPharma appointed Dr. Victor Sandor as its chief medical officer. Release

Medical Devices

> Sotera Wireless named Charlie Alvarez its head of sales and marketing. Release