Biogen names ex-Sanofi exec as new CEO
Biogen has appointed Christopher A. Viehbacher as President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, effective November 14.
Viehbacher succeeds Michel Vounatsos, whose exit was announced in May and whom has led the company since 2017.
Viehbacher has extensive international experience in both large pharmaceutical companies and entrepreneurial biotecs. After 20 years with GlaxoSmithKline, he served as global CEO of Sanofi for six years, during which time the company overcame the loss of exclusivity of most of its portfolio and pivoted to new sources of growth such as Dupixent, which resulted from the partnership with Regeneron, and in rare and specialty medicines following the acquisition of Genzyme. Under Viehbacher’s leadership, Sanofi strengthened and diversified its R&D pipeline and delivered significant value to shareholders.
More recently, Viehbacher and Ernesto Bertarelli co-founded Gurnet Point Capital, a Cambridge-based healthcare investment fund, which has led to the creation and continuing development of many innovative companies. He has also chaired or been a member of the board of a number of entrepreneurial companies in biotechnology.
Viehbacher has always been a strong advocate for innovation and public health: having received a number of awards including the Légion d’Honneur in France.
With 30 clinical programs, 12 of which are in Phase 3 or filed, Biogen is at an ‘important inflection point’ in CNS drug discovery and development.
