Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings 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.
Grünenthal poaches AZ exec Gabriel Baertschi for CEO job
Grünenthal Group
Gabriel Baertschi was named CEO.
Germany’s Grünenthal Group has poached AstraZeneca’s ($AZN) top exec in Japan to serve as its next CEO, naming Gabriel Baertschi to succeed Prof. Dr. Eric-Paul Pâques. The move will take effect Oct. 1, with Pâques retiring at the end of this year after more than 23 years at the company. Baertschi joins Grünenthal having most recently served as AstraZeneca’s president in Japan. He’ll work with Pâques during the final quarter of the year to get familiar with the business. He brings 17 years of international pharma experience; in his AstraZeneca role in Japan, he managed an organization with $3 billion in sales and 3,000 employees. Release
Orexigen names Tom Cannell COO and Jason Keyes CFO
Orexigen
Tom Cannell was named COO.
Seeking to rebound from a series of missteps with Contrave, Orexigen ($OREX) promoted Tom Cannell to COO and Jason Keyes to CFO. With the moves, Orexigen says its leadership team is in place to manage ex-U.S. Contrave commercialization; the company is prepared to go it alone in U.S. commercialization later this year, its release said. Cannell joined the San Diego, CA-based company after 27 years at Merck ($MRK), serving in leadership roles in the areas of commercialization, consumer marketing, and sales operations and management. Keyes first joined Orexigen in 2013, having previously served at Amylin Pharmaceuticals ($AMLN), Amgen ($AMGN) and Baxter ($BAX). Release
Richard King joins TSRI as COO
TSRI
Richard King was named COO.
TSRI named a new COO in Richard King, who makes the move following 5 years leading AcelRx Pharmaceuticals ($ACRX). In the new role, King will lead operations on both campuses in the areas of finance, facilities, HR, research services, sponsored programs and business development. Prior to AcelRx, King held positions at Tercica and Kos Pharmaceuticals. King replaces Douglas Bingham, who will stay on at TSRI as EVP and general counsel. Release
Former Medivation CMO Lynn Seely to helm startup Myovant
Myovant Sciences
Lynn Seely was named CEO.
Lynn Seely, former CMO of Medivation ($MDVN), has been named the CEO at startup Myovant Sciences, formed in partnership between Takeda and Roivant Sciences. Focused on women’s health and prostate cancer, Myovant has been granted a worldwide license, outside of Japan, for Takeda’s relugolix, which has shown promise in uterine fibroids, endometriosis and prostate cancer. Seely served as Medivation’s CMO from 2005 to 2015, a role in which she led the development of Xtandi. She’s credited with leading the creation of Medivation’s clinical organization, according to the release, as well as managing areas of regulatory, quality, project management, medical affairs and biologics manufacturing. Release
Biotech
> Envigo appointed Patricia Henahan as its chief financial officer. Release
> The DNA Diagnostics Center brought on Robert Bosley as its executive vice president and chief financial officer. Release
> DBV Tech appointed Dr. Motohiro Ebisawa to its scientific advisory board. Release
> Abigail McElhinny joined Personal Genome Diagnostics as senior vice president of R&D, operations. Release
> Crux Quality Solutions appointed Ed Mercado as its CEO. Release
> Priya Sapra joined SHYFT Analytics as its chief product officer. Release
> Sanifit appointed Dr. Preston Klassen as chief medical officer. Release
> Dr. Adrian Rabinowicz joined Sancilio Pharma as its CMO. Release
> Entrotech life sciences appointed former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu its medical director. Release
> Intercept Pharmaceuticals selected Sandip Kapadia for its CFO role. Release