AstraZeneca picks Genentech vet Bohen as its next CMO

Aug 28, 2015 7:53am

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.

AstraZeneca picks Genentech vet Bohen as its next CMO


	AstraZeneca Sean Bohen was named CMO.

Two months after Briggs Morrison left the drugmaker for the top job at Syndax Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca ($AZN) has announced Sean Bohen will serve as its next Chief Medical Officer. Bohen--formerly the SVP of early development at Genentech--will step into his new role on September 15, at which time he will take responsibility for late-phase development and patient safety at AstraZeneca. Despite the change in R&D focus, Bohen's 12 years at Genentech saw him gain late-phase development experience and skills in some of the areas that AstraZeneca sees as its future, such as targeted cancer therapies and companion diagnostics. Before Genentech, Bohen worked at the Stanford University School of Medicine for nearly a decade. Story | Release

Martin to head investment fund Malin


	Malin Kelly Martin was named CEO.

Former Elan CEO and controversial dealmaker Kelly Martin this week took the CEO role at Malin, a life sciences investment fund he helped establish and guide to a $380 million IPO earlier this year. Having been involved at Malin since day one as a director, Martin will displace current CEO Adrian Howd and take an active role in day-to-day happenings there. Formerly a divisive CEO at Elan who engineered an $8.6 billion sale, Martin will bring experience that firms such as Immunocore, Kymab and others can tap into; he'll carry out the CEO duties from the U.S. while Malin plans to stay registered in Ireland. Story | Release

Halozyme appoints LaBarre as CSO


	Halozyme Therapeutics Michael LaBarre was named CSO.

San Diego, CA's Halozyme Therapeutics ($HALO) this week appointed Michael J. LaBarre as its Chief Scientific Officer, succeeding Dr. Michael Shepard, who was named a research fellow for the company. LaBarre will now be responsible for R&D of early pipeline assets and for managing the development of Enhanze through partnerships. With more than 20 years of drug discovery and development experience, LaBarre joined Halozyme in 2008 and before that worked at Paramount BioSciences, Biogen Idec ($BIIB) and IDEC Pharmaceuticals. Release

Novo Nordisk picked Clayton, NC, for its first U.S. API plant, with plans to add about 700 jobs there. Story

Johnson & Johnson is bringing 500 jobs to Florida with a new shared services HQ. Story

Biotech

> Amneal announced the creation of Amneal Biosciences with Charles Lucarelli as president. Release

> Dr. Rachel Humphrey joined CytomX as chief medical officer. Release

> Halo Pharmaceutical appointed Lee Karras as CEO and Barry Lederman as CFO. Release

> Joseph Del Buono joins Adare Pharma as vice president, finance and chief financial officer. Release

> Human Longevity tapped Mark Winham as chief operating officer. Release

> AXIM Biotechnologies added Joe Grace to its advisory board. Release

> Parexel ($PRXL) elected Maykin Ho to its board of directors. Release

> AMAG Pharma ($AMAG) named Joseph Vittiglio as general counsel and secretary. Release

> Regulus ($RGLS) appointed Dr. Michael Huang as vice president, clinical development. Release

> Upsher-Smith Laboratories named Chief Commercial Officer Rusty Field as president. Release

> Beloteca appointed Dorla Mirejovsky as chief scientific officer. Release

> Halozyme ($HALO) appointed Michael Labarre as chief scientific officer. Release

> Chiasma appointed Dr. William Ludlam as vice president of medical affairs. Release

> OncoSec ($ONCS) promoted Sheela Mohan-Peterson to chief legal and compliance officer. Release

Pharma

> Valeant ($VRX) added Dr. Robert Hale to its board of directors. Release

Med tech

> Velano Vascular added David Schlotterbeck to its board of directors. Release

> Unilife ($UNIS) appointed Harry Hamill to its board of directors. Release

> Mark Knudson, Enteromedics ($ETRM) CEO, president, chairman and founder, will retire at the end of 2015. Release

> Amit Goffer, ReWalk Robotics' ($RWLK) president and chief technology officer will retire effective Nov. 18. Release

> REVA Medical named Regina Groves as CEO. Release

CRO

> INC Research ($INCR) promoted Bekki Brown to executive vice president, clinical development, general medicine and Tom Zoda to executive vice president, clinical development, central nervous system. Release

Diagnostics

> Epic Sciences appointed Dave Henderson as chief information officer. Release

> Xagenic named Randall Wilhoite as vice president of operations. Release