Peter Loescher has been hired to fill the newly created position of global marketing chief at Merck. Hiring an outsider like Loescher sent a signal to analysts that new CEO Dick Clark intends major changes in the way the drug company does business.

Philip Reilly has resigned as CEO of Interleukin Genetics. Company founder Kenneth Kornman will take over that role and keep his posts as president and chief scientific officer.

Alex McPherson is stepping down as president and CEO of Biomira in May.

Transgenomic CEO Collin J. D'Silva has stepped down.

CuraGen announced that Dr. Frank M. Armstrong has been appointed president and CEO. CuraGen also announced today the election of Robert E. Patricelli as non-executive chairman of the board.

Dr. Bernard L. Kasten has resigned as CEO of SIGA Technologies. Thomas N. Konatich, currently SIGA's CFO, will be appointed acting CEO.

Ohmx has appointed Gary Blackburn, Ph.D., as the company's president and CEO.

Infinity Pharmaceuticals has promoted Julian Adams, Ph.D., to president and chief scientific officer; Adelene Q. Perkins to executive vice president and chief business officer; and David S. Grayzel, M.D., to vice president, clinical development and medical affairs.

VaxGen has appointed Matthew J. Pfeffer, CPA, as the company's CFO and senior vice president of finance and administration.

Tercica has appointed Ajay Bansal as senior vice president and CFO.

ThermoGenesis has promoted John R. Chapman, Ph.D. to vice president of scientific affairs.

Baxter International named Jeanne K. Mason corporate vice president, human resources.

Althea Technologies has appointed Chris Duffy and Roy Musil as vice presidents in its regulatory and development areas.

TransMolecular has named Jonathan B. Lloyd Jones to the position of vice president of finance.

MedImmune has appointed John J. Trizzino as vice president, trade and distribution, and Mark C. Twyman, vice president and general manager, vaccines.

PPD has appointed James S. Streeter as executive director of electronic data capture.

Edward H. Myles has been hired as Pressure BioSciiences' new vice president of finance and CFO; Dr. Nathan P. Lawrence has been promoted to the newly created position of vice president of marketing and business development; and Dr. Alexander V. Lazarev has been hired as director of research and development.

George F. Tidmarsh, M.D., Ph.D., has decided not to stand for re-election to Threshold Pharmaceuticals' board of directors.

TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals has appointed Dr. Mitchell Glass to its scientific advisory board.

ActivBiotics has appointed David J. McLachlan to serve on the board to replace Richard U. De Schutter.

CytoDyn has appointed Gregory A. Gould, CPA to its board of directors.

BC Biotech announced that Don Avison, president of the University Presidents' Council of British Columbia, has been appointed to the organization's board of directors.

Amicus Therapeutics has appointed Donald J. Hayden, Jr. as executive chairman of the company's board of directors.

Alpharma has appointed Peter G. Tombros chairman of the board of directors.

Cell BioSciences announced that A. Blaine Bowman has joined its board as lead director.