C&L: Bethune tapped as interim Zila CEO

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:59:52 -0400

Zila Chairman David Bethune is taking on the role of acting CEO. That post has been empty since last June, when Doug Burkett left the job.

Barr Pharmaceuticals announced the following promotions: Christine Mundkur, Esq. has been named CEO of Barr Laboratories; Fred Wilkinson has been named CEO of Duramed Pharmaceuticals; Mike Bogda has been named president and COO, Barr Laboratories; Timothy Sawyer has been named executive vice president, global generic sales and marketing, Barr Laboratories; and Bill McKee, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, will assume expanded responsibilities.

Cytovance has selected Atlanta biotech executive Darren Head as chief executive officer.

ImClone Systems has appointed Kenneth Zuerblis as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Addex Pharmaceuticals announced that Mark Epping-Jordan, chief scientific officer, has resigned for personal reasons and will leave the company in mid-2008.

Neurobiological Technologies has named Matthew Loar chief financial officer.

NitroMed announced the resignation of James Ham as NitroMed's vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary.

EKR Therapeutics has made the following additions to its senior management: Ernie Biczak, M.D. as senior vice president of marketing, Dave Iwanicki as senior vice president of commercial operations, and Stephen Hulse, R.Ph. as vice president of sales. Additionally, Tong Zhang, Ph.D. has been promoted to vice president of business development.

Catalent Pharma Solutions has named Matthew Walsh as senior vice president, finance and chief financial officer.

PPD has appointed Mike Wilkinson, Ph.D., as executive vice president of global clinical development.

ExonHit Therapeutics announced that Matthew Pando, Ph.D., and John Jaskowiak joined the management board. Philippe Rousseau was named president of the management board, until a new CEO is appointed.

Agendia BV has named Richard Bender, MD, FACP to the position of vice president and chief medical officer.

Discovery Laboratories has hired John Wilson, as vice president of sales and marketing and John Tattory as vice president of finance.

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics has appointed Nabil Dib, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.C.C., as the principal investigator for its Phase II clinical trial in patients with severe coronary heart disease.

TyRx Pharma has appointed Gary Young as vice president, marketing.

Cerus Corporation has named Carol Moore as vice president, regulatory affairs and quality.

Microbia has named Halley Gilbert to the position of vice president, general counsel.

AutoGenomics has appointed Dr. Laurence Demers, DABCC, FACB and Eric S. Kentor to its board of directors.

AspenBio Pharma has named Dr. Mark Ratain as a new independent member of its board of directors.

Pharmasset has named Herbert Conrad as a member of the board of directors and the nominating and corporate governance committee.

Nastech Pharmaceutical named Gunter Blobel, M.D., Ph.D., to the Scientific Advisory Board of MDRNA, Nastech's wholly-owned subsidiary for the development of RNAi technology and therapeutics.

Genmab buys antibody plant in $240M deal

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

PDL BioPharma has inked a deal to sell its U.S. antibody manufacturing plant to Denmark's Genmab for $240 million. The deal--which will enable Genmab to transition three antibody products from research to manufacturing--covers a facility that can produce multiple antibodies as well as leased space for a development lab. And PDL will continue to obtain testing material from the plant. Genmab has tapped Torben Lund-Hansen to run the operation in Brooklyn Park, MN, where all 170 employees are being retained.

This deal is just the latest in a string of asset sales for PDL, which announced plans to maximize shareholder value last fall. Its cardiovascular products were acquired by EKR Therapeutics and Japan's Otsuka bought out Busulfex IV in December.

"We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Genmab, which we believe is the optimal transaction to fully realize the value of our biologics manufacturing facility. Importantly, it also represents another step in delivering on our commitment to maximize the value of PDL's assets for our stockholders, following on the recent sale of our commercial assets," said L. Patrick Gage, the company's interim chief executive.

- see this release
- and here's the report from The Street

Related Articles:
PDL BioPharma puts out 'for sale' sign. Report
PDL sells assets, cuts jobs. Report
Rumors of buyout interest heat GenMab stock. Report
Genmab shares up on new antibody tech. Report