COO Caforio named incoming BMS chief

Chutes and Ladders

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

COO Caforio named incoming BMS chief

Bristol-Myers Squibb
Giovanni Caforio was named CEO.

A 15-year veteran of Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY), COO Giovanni Caforio will take the CEO reins effective May 5. The Italian native has helped build BMS' leadership role in immuno-oncology and has served at the company in multiple facets during his tenure. He joined BMS in 2000 as vice president and general manager of its Italian division, eventually moving to the senior management team in 2011. "I look forward to working with our very talented team of people at BMS to build on what we've accomplished, to deliver on the promise of our innovative portfolio and to continue to make a real difference for our patients," he said in a statement. Caforio began his career at Abbott Laboratories ($ABT) after earning his M.D. from the University of Rome. Outgoing CEO Lamberto Andreotti will serve as executive chairman of the board. Story | Release


Ralph Neas to step down as GPhA president and CEO

GPhA
Ralph Neas announced his resignation.

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) announced on Wednesday that president and CEO Ralph Neas will step down in the fall. Neas has led the organization since September 2011; he is leaving to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and work on issues such as nonpartisan election reform. During his remaining tenure, he will assist the organization in a CEO search and leadership transition. "It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with my GPhA colleagues to help ensure access to safe and affordable medicines, which save patients and the healthcare system hundreds of billions of dollars annually," he said. Release


Tony Hunt named next CEO of Repligen

Repligen
Tony Hunt was named CEO.

COO Tony Hunt will serve as the next CEO of Repligen, effective May 21. Hunt will succeed Walter Herlihy, who has helped transform Repligen from a therapeutics company to a focused bioprocessing industry leader, said Karen Dawes, board chair, in a release. Hunt joined Repligen in the spring of 2014 as COO; he has helped to expand the company's commercial footprint and integrate the Refine Technologies acquisition into Repligen operations. Prior to Repligen, Hunt served as president of bioproduction at Life Technologies. Release


Biotech

> Lynne Bulger joined Cipher Pharmaceuticals to be the company's vice president of medical affairs. Release

> Nutra Pharma brought on Keith Gordon as a member of its medical advisory board. Release

> Jamie Gregorian joined BIO as the organization's director of federal government relations. Release

> MIT Holding brought on Tommy Duncan as its president. Release

> DNASTAR brought on Tom Lynch as its vice president of sales. Release

> Ophthalmology expert Dr. Murad Sunalp joined AXIM Biotechnologies' advisory board. Release

> Galena Biopharma ($GALE) hired Joseph Lasaga as the company's vice president of business development and alliance management. Release

> Affirmed Therapeutics appointed Martin Treder as its chief scientific officer. Release

> ContraVir Pharmaceuticals added Carol Brosgart to its scientific advisory board. Release

> ThromboGenics appoints Emmanuele Attout as independent nonexecutive director. Release

> NeoStem ($NBS) has added Dr. Peter Traber, president, CEO and CMO of Galectin Therapeutics, to its board of directors. Release

> Preston Richards joins ViaDerma's advisory board. Release

> Dale West joins Inova Labs as senior vice president of operations. Release

> BioInvent appoints Anna Wickenberg as vice president of clinical development. Release

> Seres Health adds Dr. Mark Wilcox to its scientific advisory board. Release

> Halozyme Therapeutics ($HALO) appoints Dr. Jean-Pierre Bizzari to its board of directors. Release

Pharma

> Immune Pharma ($IMNP) appoints Gad Berdugo as chief financial officer and Dr. Cameron Durrant as lead independent director. Release

> Ariad Pharma ($ARIA) appoints Thomas DesRosier to executive vice president, chief legal and administration officer and secretary. Release

> Dr. Robert Spiegel joins Sucampo's ($SCMP) board of directors. Release

PharmaManufacturing

> U.K. manufacturer Seward appointed Dan Crothers as the company's managing director. Release

BiotechIT

> Certara appointed Gavin Nichols as its president of technology and head of its software business unit. Release

> Michelle Munson joins GenoSpace's board as an independent director. Release

Vaccines

> Anne-Kirsti Aksnes and Tina Madsen join Targovax as vice president of clinical development and vice president of quality assurance, respectively. Release

> PaxVax appoints Nima Farzan as president. Farzan will continue in her role as COO and join the board of directors. Release

Diagnostics

> Myriad Genetics ($MYGN) announced that Johnathan M. Lancaster has joined as its vice president of medical affairs for oncology. Release