Merck: Dr. Eliav Barr becomes head of Global Clinical Development (GCD) and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Eliav Barr will become head of Global Clinical Development (GCD) and Chief Medical Officer, Merck Research Laboratories (MRL): with Dr. Roy D. Baynes retiring in July.
As an oncologist and clinical development expert, Dr. Baynes spearheaded the development of Keytruda and ‘leaves an indelible mark on Merck, on oncology and on the lives of patients and their families’, says the company.
Dr. Baynes joined Merck in 2013. Under his leadership, Merck achieved more than 140 medicine and vaccine approvals globally across numerous therapeutic areas. Alongside Keytruda (pembrolizumab), this has included Welireg (belzutifan), Vaxneuvance (Pneumococcal 15-valent Conjugate Vaccine), Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir), Lagevrio (molnupiravir), Zerbaxa (ceftolozane and tazobactam), Recarbrio (relebactam), Prevymis (letermovir), Bridion (sugammadex) among others and, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, Eisai and Bayer, the development of Lynparza (olaparib), Lenvima (lenvatinib) and Verquvo (vericiguat), respectively. He also led the expansion of Merck’s research and development in China and Japan.
Dr. Eliav Barr, is currently senior vice president, Global Clinical Development at Merck. During his more than two decades at the company, Dr. Barr has held positions of increasing responsibility including leadership roles in oncology and infectious diseases clinical development. Dr. Barr oversaw the company’s Vaccines/Infectious Disease area during a period of high productivity, including the development of novel therapies for chronic hepatitis C and HIV-1 infections. Most recently he led MRL’s Global Medical Affairs organization from 2018 to January 2022, significantly expanding Merck’s scientific engagement and implementation efforts in oncology, vaccines and more. In his new role Dr. Barr will lead all late-stage clinical development for Merck’s expansive human health portfolio and pipeline.
Dr. Barr is a cardiologist by training. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, and subsequently pursued post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Merck in 1995, he held a faculty position at the University of Chicago. In 2019, he was a recipient of a Penn State Alumni Fellow Award for his dedication to the development of medicines and vaccines that treat and prevent infectious diseases.
