Dr. Steven M. Paul to Retire from Lilly as Executive Vice President, Science and Technology, President, Lilly Research Laboratories; Dr. Jan M. Lundberg, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Discovery Research, AstraZeneca, Named his Successor
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov 13, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that Steven M. Paul, M.D., executive vice president, science and technology, and president, Lilly Research Laboratories, will retire from Lilly effective February 28, 2010. Lilly has also announced that Jan M. Lundberg, Ph.D., executive vice president and head of global discovery research, AstraZeneca, is to become his successor. Paul is committed to working closely with Lundberg to ensure a successful transition. Lundberg plans to join Lilly in Indianapolis as early as January 2010, subject to completion of the U.S. immigration process.
Paul joined Lilly as vice president, central nervous system discovery research and decision-phase medical research, in 1993. He was named group vice president, therapeutic area discovery research and clinical investigation, in 1998. Paul has been in his current role since 2003. Before coming to Lilly, Paul was the scientific director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
"Under Steve's leadership, we now have the most robust pipeline in Lilly's history, including approximately 60 unique potential medicines--both small molecules and biologics--in human testing. Additionally, Steve has helped to recruit many of the top leaders we have in LRL today. Steve has also been actively involved in advancing Lilly's research in the area of Alzheimer's disease, including solanezumab, one of Lilly's two late-stage Alzheimer's molecules," said John Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly chairman and chief executive officer.
"Steve has also been instrumental in successfully transforming R&D over the past several years, including the implementation of the FIPNet model, moving Lilly from a fully integrated pharmaceutical company, where we previously owned all aspects of the value chain, to a fully integrated pharmaceutical network, where we are playing bigger than our size. He has also been a tremendous ambassador for the company, representing Lilly through his involvement with biopharmaceutical industry, scientific, and medical organizations," added Lechleiter.
Paul had planned to retire in 2010. With the successful recruitment of his successor, he will retire at the end of February 2010.
"Advancing our pipeline to patients as quickly and as safely as possible is the biggest challenge Lilly faces in 2010 and beyond. We are confident that Dr. Lundberg will be able to deliver on this challenge," said Lechleiter.
Lundberg has a Ph.D. from Sweden's world-renowned Karolinska Institute, where he was a professor in the department of pharmacology before moving to industry. Prior to Karolinska, he attended Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He has published approximately 500 scientific articles, mainly related to mechanisms of cell signaling in the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory systems. Lundberg has won a variety of research awards and is a highly cited author in the areas of biology and biochemistry, pharmacology and neuroscience. He has been a member of the Swedish Medical Research Council and also of the Advisory Board for Drug Approvals at the Swedish Medical Product Agency. In January 2003, he was appointed Honorary Doctor of Pharmacy at Uppsala University.
During the last 10 years at AstraZeneca, as head of global discovery research, Lundberg was instrumental in delivering more than 150 drug candidates to the company's pipeline. He had responsibility for discovery research and supported clinical development of potential therapies for cancer, infection, central nervous system disorders, pain, cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal conditions, and inflammation. Lundberg was also responsible for discovery-enabling technologies, discovery informatics, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, translational science and safety assessment. He has had a leading role in external activities, including in-licensing of projects and technologies, as well as acquisitions of biotech companies. His organization was involved with both small molecules and biologics. For the past seven years, he has been an executive vice president and member of the senior executive team, reporting to the CEO of AstraZeneca.
"I have always had tremendous respect for the quality of people, science and products at Lilly. Therefore, I feel honored to be the successor to Steve Paul. I'm really looking forward to meeting my colleagues at Lilly and together with them conquering the future challenges and advancing innovative medicines that meet the needs of patients, payers and prescribers," said Lundberg.
According to Paul, "Jan possesses the right mix of scientific expertise and industry experience needed to advance the innovative pipeline of this company."
About Lilly
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.