Vertex's Mueller steps down from R&D position

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.

Vertex's Mueller steps down from R&D position

Vertex Pharmaceuticals ($VRTX) has announced the retirement of Peter Mueller, the company's executive vice president of global research and development and chief scientific officer. After more than 10 years with Vertex, Mueller will step down at the end of October, according to the company. Release

Vertex
Peter Mueller retired from his R&D position.


Jounce
Richard Murray joined as CEO.


Philips Healthcare
Deborah DiSanzo
stepped down from the helm.

Biotech

> Jounce Therapeutics has appointed Dr. Richard Murray as its chief executive officer. Murray, who will succeed interim CEO Cary Pfeffer, most recently served as senior vice president, biologics & vaccines, at Merck ($MRK). Prior to joining Merck, Murray was the executive vice president and chief scientific officer at PDL BioPharma and the co-founder and vice president of research at EOS Biotechnology. More

> Charles Carignan joined BiOM as CEO. Story

> Thomas Kindt joined Diomics as its chief scientific officer. Release

> Marc Voigt has been appointed as CEO of Prima BioMed ($PBMD). Release

> William Hornung has joined ContraVir Pharmaceuticals as its chief financial officer. Release

> Lexicon Pharmaceuticals ($LXRX) has appointed Lonnel Coats to president and CEO. Release

> Vitae Pharmaceuticals announced that Arthur Fratamico has been named chief business officer and Richard Morris has joined the company as chief financial officer. Release

> GlycoMimetics ($GLYC) has named Dr. Mark Goldberg to its board of directors. Release

> Intezyne Technologies appointed Carolyn Paradise as its acting chief medical officer and Tim Coan as its chief financial officer. Release

Pharma

> Baxter ($BAX) named current CFO Robert Hombach as the chief financial officer of the company's pharma branch, and James Saccaro will take his place as CFO of Baxter. Release | News

> Baxter has also appointed Dr. John Orloff as vice president and global head of research and development for Baxter BioScience. Release | News

> Raptor Pharmaceuticals ($RPTP) appointed Julie Anne Smith as president to replace retiring Christopher Starr. Release

> ISA Pharmaceuticals named Ronald Loggers as its CEO. Release

> Hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management is proposing 6 new directors for Allergan's ($AGN) board of directors. Story

CRO

> Board member Ying Han has stepped down from WuXi PharmaTech's ($WX) board of directors. Release

> Covance ($CVD) has added Dr. Robert Wasserman as vice president and global therapeutic area head of oncology and Dr. Rogelio Mosqueda-Garcia as global vice president of early clinical services within Medical & Scientific Affairs. Release

Medical Devices

Deborah DiSanzo, CEO of Philips Healthcare ($PHG), has stepped down from her position as the company struggles under the weight of disappointing expectations for their Q2 earnings. More

> JenaValve named David Drachman as the company's CEO. Release

> Arch Therapeutics has appointed Richard Davis as chief financial officer and treasurer. Release

> CryoLife ($CRY) has appointed James Patrick Mackin as its president and chief executive officer. Release

Diagnostics

> Oxford Immunotec appointed Louis O'Dea chief medical officer. Release

Drug Delivery

> MonoSol Rx has appointed Joseph Crusco as its director of business development. Release