WHO, Andrew Witty
Andrew Witty will co-lead the WHOs plans to facilitate the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, temporarily vacating his position at UnitedHealth.
UnitedHealth Group made the announcement that its current president and CEO of Optum, its pharmacy benefit manager division, Andrew Witty, would take a temporary leave of absence to work with the WHO in countering COVID-19.
Witty will co-lead a global effort by the WHO to aid the development of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, before returning to continue his role at UnitedHealth by ‘approximately’ the year’s end.
Prior to his role at UnitedHealth, Witty was the CEO of GSK, where he placed an emphasis on the company’s vaccines business, which included overseeing the takeover Novartis’ unit.
Witty began his role May 20, and the following week more details were revealed about the WHO’s plans for speeding the development of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19.
