Sarepta CEO Chris Garabedian resigns

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 Eric Sagonowsky (email) or Amirah Al Idrus (email | Twitter), and we will feature it here at the end of each week.

Sarepta CEO Chris Garabedian resigns

Sarepta 
CEO Chris Garabedian resigned.

Chris Garabedian, the bullish, controversial CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics ($SRPT), has resigned from his post, leaving the company just as it prepares to file its Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment for FDA approval. Garabedian, whose relationship with the FDA sometimes verged on hostile, will be replaced by Chief Medical Officer Edward Kaye on an interim basis, and Sarepta says it's still on track to submit its drug, eteplirsen, by the middle of this year. More


NuVasive's CEO leaves amid financial allegations

NuVasive
Alexis Lukianov left the CEO position.

Alexis Lukianov has resigned as CEO of minimally invasive surgical spine player NuVasive ($NUVA) due to violations of the company's expense reimbursement and personnel policies. The amounts involved are said to be immaterial to the company's financial results. The allegations are a result of an independent investigation that was overseen by the NuVasive board. Lukianov had been with the company since 1999, when it was a venture-backed startup. He ushered NuVasive through a May 2004 IPO that raised $71.5 million. From those humble beginnings, the company now has a market cap of about $2.2 billion. Story


Biotech

Otonomy ($OTIC) appoints Dr. Dean Hakanson as chief medical officer. Release

Galmed Pharma ($GLMD) names George Tonelli vice president of clinical operations. Release

Karyopharm ($KPTI) adds Dr. Mikael Dolsten to its board of directors. Release

Evofem names David Friend as senior vice president of product development. Release

Corium International adds Eric Bjerkholt to its board of directors. Release

Midatech Pharma announced that Jeff Brown is stepping down from its board of directors effective April 30. Release

Clinigen is seeking a new chief financial officer to succeed Robin Sibson when he retires in 2015 or 2016. Release

Iroko Pharma adds Pierre Legault to its board of directors. Release

Immunocore appoints Dr. Christina Coughlin as chief medical officer. Release

Immunogen ($IMGN) appoints Dr. Anna Berkenblit as vice president and chief medical officer. Release

Blaze Bioscience adds Dr. Jan Öhrström to its board of directors. Release

DelMar Pharma appoints Erich Mohr to its board of directors. Release

Retrophin ($RTRX) adds John Kozarich to its board as an independent director and names Jeffrey Meckler as chairman. Release

Orexigen ($OREX) hired Tom Cannell as its chief commercial officer. Release

Tyrogenex appointed Michael Webb as its president and CEO. Release

Tesaro ($TSRO) brought on Joseph Farmer as its senior vice president and general counsel. Release

Michael Levitz resigned from medical imaging company Analogic ($ALOG), where he served as CFO. Release

Paul Anderson joined InMed's scientific advisory board. Release

Pharma

EMD Serono, the U.S. subsidiary of Merck KGaA, appoints Dr. Frederick Munschauer as vice president of medical affairs, neurology and immunology. Release

Animal Health

Nexvet ($NVET) appoints former head of Novartis Animal Health Dr. George Gunn as nonexecutive chairman of its board. Release