Novartis gets new head of Japanese business amid misconduct investigations

Chutes and Ladders

Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings and firings throughout the industry. Please send the good word--or the bad--from your shop to Michael Gibney (email | Twitter) or Emily Mullin (email | Twitter) and we will feature it here at the end of each week.

Novartis gets new head of Japanese business amid misconduct investigations

Novartis' Japan business unit had a shake-up this week after investigations showed that the division had a hand in drug studies that were supposed to have been conducted outside of the company. Dirk Kosche, head of emerging growth markets at Novartis ($NVS), was selected to helm the company's Japan unit to replace Yoshiyasu Ninomiya. More

Novartis
Dirk Kosche has been selected to head Novartis' Japan business unit.


Merck KGaA
Global R&D head Annalisa Jenkins has left the company.


Pharma

> Annalisa Jenkins, global head of R&D at Merck KGaA, has left the company to take up the post of chair of the board of TransCelerate BioPharma. More

> Par Pharmaceutical has named Terrance Coughlin chief operating officer. Release

> New Haven Pharmaceuticals brought on Dr. Larry Dillaha as the company's executive vice president of operations. Release

Biotech

> Ross Maclean, a Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY) executive, is joining Precision Health Economics as chief operating officer. Release

> Inovio Pharmaceuticals ($INO) today announced the appointment of E.J. Brandreth as vice president of quality. Release

> Medivation ($MDVN) has appointed Rick Bierly as chief financial officer. Release

> Ariad Pharmaceuticals ($ARIA) appointed Hugh Cole as its chief business officer. Release

> Aastrom Biosciences ($ASTM) has appointed Ross Tubo as chief scientific officer and Dr. David Recker as chief medical officer. Release

> Trevena ($TRVN) has appointed Robert Prachar to the newly created position of senior vice president of commercial and corporate strategy. Release

> NeoStem ($NBS) has appointed Dr. Adel Nada as vice president, immunotherapy. Release

> Dicerna Pharmaceuticals ($DRNA) has appointed Dr. Pankaj Bhargava as chief medical officer. Release

> Christopher Calhoun, CEO and director of Cytori Therapeutics ($CYTX), is retiring as CEO. Cytori's board of directors has named Dr. Marc Hedrick to the position of CEO, in addition to his current responsibilities as president and director. Release

> Diabetes specialist William Polonsky joined LabStyle Innovations' medical and scientific advisory board. Release

> Halozyme Therapeutics ($HALO) appointed Sunil Joshi as vice president and global product team lead for its oncology unit. Release

> Greg Richard joined PDI ($PDII) as the general manager of its Interpace Diagnostics subsidiary. Release

> 23andMe hired Kathy Hibbs as the company's chief legal and regulatory officer. Release

> Relypsa ($RLYP) brought on Sylvia Wheeler as the company's vice president of investor relations and corporate affairs. Release

> Simon Pedder joined Cellectar Biosciences as the company's president and CEO. Release

> Theravance ($THRX) appointed Kevin Kwok as the head of its talent acquisition and strategy unit. Release

> Impax Laboratories ($IPXL) bumped up Jeffrey Nornhold to be its senior vice president of technical operations. Release

> Nevro brought on Dr. David Caraway to be its chief medical officer. Release

> Juno Therapeutics appointed Steve Harr as the company's CFO and head of corporate development. Release

> Immune Pharmaceuticals ($IMNP) appointed Dr. Elliott Goldstein as its new chief medical officer and Eugene Williams as its chief operating officer. Release

> Tonix Pharmaceuticals ($TNXP) has appointed Donald Kellerman to the position of senior vice president, clinical development and regulatory affairs. Release

> Kite Pharma appointed Dr. Arie Belldegrun as its president and CEO. Release

Medical Devices

> Arch Therapeutics has appointed Chirag Shah as vice president of research and development engineering and quality systems, and Peter LaCrosse as chief of staff. Release

> Opko Health ($OPK) has appointed Adam Logal as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Opko Health has also appointed Arie Gutman as CEO of Opko's newly created active pharmaceutical ingredient and chemical development division. Release