News from the MHRA, Achillion and Halozyme – People on the move
We start this week with the UK’s regulatory body, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) who has re-appointed John Williams CBE as a non-executive director on its Board.
Former President of the British, the European and the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Williams is also the interim chairman of the Committee on the Safety of Devices.
MHRA Chairman Professor Sir Gordon Duff said he was “grateful to John for accepting his re-appointment,” adding “his expertise and clinical experience will ensure that the board has the right balance of knowledge and skills.”
And read about the MHRA’s crackdown on counterfeit online pharmacies here.
Next up is BioInvent International who has appointed Michael Oredsson as its new President and CEO.
Oredsson is currently the CEO of Probi and will take join the research-based pharmaceutical company at the end of August.
“BioInvent is a very interesting company with broad knowledge, strong technologies and numerous partnerships in the field of antibody therapeutics,” Oredsson said. “The company's new strategy provides exciting opportunities and I look forward to leading this work.”
Another new CEO and President now, as Achillion Pharmaceuticals has appointed current President of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Milind Deshpande to the role, replacing Michael Kishbauch who has decided to retire.
Deshpande, who joined Achillion in September 2001, thanked “Mike for his leadership and mentorship over the past nine years,” adding he was “humbled by the Board's decision and excited for the opportunity to bring Achillion into late stage clinical development, working closely with the very talented senior management team and workforce that we have assembled who have a history of bringing promising compounds through clinical development and to the market.”
Kala Pharmaceuticals has appointed Charles McDermott to the role of executive VP, business development.
McDermott joins the company after eight years at Botox developers Allergan, and prior to that he was at deCODE Genetics in several business development positions.
CEO of Kala, Dr. Guillaume Pfefer, said: “We are rapidly gaining momentum within the ophthalmic industry and Charlie shares our vision to make a difference in the lives of patients suffering from ocular diseases.”
Biopharmaceutical company Halozyme Therapeutics has announced the appointment of David Ramsay as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Kurt Gustafson who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.
Ramsay originally served the role for the company in 2003, before becoming Vice President, Corporate Development. Prior to this he has served at ICN Pharmaceuticals - now Valeant – and ARCO.
Dr. Gregory Frost, CEO at Halozyme said: “With his established financial management experience and his recent commercial and operational experience gained by working in our commercial group for the last four years, David brings strong assets to advance the company, manage financial growth and deliver value for our shareholders.”
And finally, drug delivery firm Oxygen Biotherapeutics has hired Col. (ret.) Charles Pamplin III as its new Chief Medical Officer in order to implement the Company’s strategic clinical development plan.
“We believe Dr. Pamplin’s expertise in drug development, the drug approval process, investor outreach, and strategy, as well as his military ties will prove highly beneficial to the company immediately, and over the long term,” said Michael Jebsen, Interim CEO.
