Chimerix CEO Moch steps down after compassionate-use controversy

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.

Chimerix CEO Moch steps down after compassionate use controversy

Kenneth Moch stepped down from the CEO spot at media-rattled Chimerix ($CMRX) after enduring a compassionate-use controversy involving a 7-year-old cancer patient and the company's experimental antiviral. Dr. M. Michelle Berrey, the company's chief medical officer, stepped into his shoes at the Durham, NC-based biotech with the task ahead of her of bringing the antiviral candidate through trials. Article | Release

Chimerix
Kenneth Moch resigned as CEO.


Biogen
Adam Koppel will be senior vice president and chief strategy officer.


Biotech

> Biogen Idec ($BIIB) appointed Dr. Adam Koppel as senior vice president and chief strategy officer, effective May 15. Release

> NMS Labs appointed William Hough as its vice president of human resources and Ron Fazio as vice president of Integrated Forensic Solutions, business development and general manager of Integrated Forensic Laboratories. Release

> BioCision named Dr. Lori Kunkel, Dr. Scott Burger, Jon Rowley and Lee Buckler to the company's newly formed advisory board. Release

> Novartis ($NVS) named Jeff George to lead its Alcon division and Richard Francis to head its Sandoz division. More

> DBV Technologies appointed Susanna Mesa as the vice president of finance, U.S. investor relations and strategy, for its new U.S. subsidiary. Release

> Jonathan Poole will be Genocea Biosciences' ($GNCA) new chief financial officer. Release

> Steve Medlicott joined e-Therapeutics as the company's finance director. Release

> Stemedica appointed Mahendra Rao a member of its scientific and medical advisory board. Release

> Gen9 named Jennifer Camacho as its chief legal and business counsel. Release

> Richard LeLacheur will head GLP Bioanalysis for Agilux Laboratories' pharmaceutical development services. Release

> Patrick Walsh resigned as the CEO of AAIPharma Services and Cambridge Major Laboratories. Release

> Sorrento Therapeutics ($SRNE) added Dr. Ian Walters, a former executive at Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY), as senior vice president of translational medicine and corporate development. Release

> AtheroNova added Randolph Johnson as chief operating officer. Release

> GlycoMimetics ($GLYC) added Timothy Pearson to its board of directors. Release

> Novavax ($NVAX) appointed Cynthia Oliver to the position of senior vice president of process development operations. Release

> Edge Therapeutics has made a number of appointments: Herbert Faleck joined as chief medical officer; Andrew Einhorn as chief financial officer; Alpaslan Yaman as vice president of operations and manufacturing; Gene Mack as senior director of investor relations; and William Shatynski as senior director of financial reporting and controller. Release

> Amarantus Bioscience ($AMBS) appointed Dr. Charlotte Keywood as chief medical officer of the company's therapeutics division. Release

> Convoy Therapeutics appointed Dr. Mary Spellman as chief medical officer. Release

> Deciphera Pharmaceuticals named Michael Taylor its president and CEO. Release

> MEI Pharma ($MEIP) appointed David Urso as senior vice president of corporate development and general counsel. Release

Diagnostics

> Epic Sciences appointed Pascal Bamford as vice president of product development. Release

CRO

> Roland Andersson and Thomas Senderovitz have both joined Parexel International ($PRXL) as senior vice presidents of clinical research services. Release

> Michael Dorato joined Smithers Avanza as the company's executive vice president. Release