The Medicines Company has tweaked its board, bringing former Pfizer executive Geno Germano in as an independent director and expanding Fred Eshelman’s role. Germano takes up the position 8 months after a shift in focus at Intrexon led him to give up the president post at the synthetic biology company.
Germano brings 30 years of biopharma experience to The Medicines Company. The most recent fraction of that experience he gained at Intrexon. But Germano is best known for his time at Pfizer, where he worked on cardiovascular programs that give him a background relevant to The Medicines Company’s plans.
“Geno’s more than three decades of experience in leading global biopharmaceutical businesses and, in particular, his deep knowledge of the cholesterol lowering market gained during his tenure as group president of Pfizer’s global innovative pharma business, perfectly align with The Medicines Company’s go-forward, key operating imperatives,” Eshelman said in a statement.
The position is the second spot on a board of directors Germano has taken up since parting ways with Intrexon in March. Germano took up the first of those positions in May, when Biogen spinout Bioverativ unveiled him as a new member of its board of directors.
RELATED: Change in direction at Intrexon has Germano heading for the exit
Germano’s arrival at The Medicines Company coincides with the expansion of Eshelman’s role. The Medicines Company named Eshelman chairman in 2015—ending the 14-year reign of CEO Clive Meanwell, M.D., Ph.D.—and has now added the prefix “executive” to his title.
The change gives Eshelman, who ran leading CRO PPD for years, a bigger role in the strategy and operation of The Medicines Company at a time when it is cutting its headcount, working to offload its infectious disease business and quickly advance its inclisiran LDL-C lowering phase 3 program.
Meanwell will now report to Eshelman.