Sandoz names Don DeGolyer to head US business
· DeGolyer brings over 25 years of healthcare industry experience to Sandoz US
· Assumes role from April 1 following transition period
· Seasoned generics leader Rich Tremonte becomes VP, US Retail Sales and Marketing
Princeton, New Jersey, March 8, 2010 - Sandoz announced today the appointment of Don DeGolyer as President of the company's US operations and Head of Commercial Operations for North America.
DeGolyer, who has deep experience in the healthcare industry and strong understanding of key customer needs in the changing healthcare landscape, will assume the role fully on April 1 following a transition period. He will be a member of the global Sandoz Executive Committee (SEC).
"The US healthcare landscape is undergoing fundamental shifts," said Sandoz Head Jeff George, "and working with our largest customers and the government is increasingly important to our business, and Don's background and experience will be invaluable. I am very confident in his ability to drive the Sandoz US strategy forward as we look to further enhance our position in this important market."
DeGolyer served most recently as Senior Vice President and Head of US Commercial Operations for Sandoz US. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President, US Managed Markets & Established Medicines for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the US affiliate of Novartis. DeGolyer has over 25 years experience in the industry, including multiple sales, marketing and management roles of increasing responsibility at Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Oxford GlycoSciences. He is a graduate of the University of Rochester and holds an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
DeGolyer replaces Christine Mundkur, who will leave Sandoz to pursue other opportunities for personal reasons, after successfully accomplishing an important first phase of turning around the performance of Sandoz US following disappointing 2008 results.
At the same time, Richard Tremonte is appointed Vice President, US Retail Sales and Marketing. Tremonte has worked in the generics industry for most of the past ten years, including more than five years at Teva Pharmaceuticals in various marketing and supply chain positions of increasing responsibility. He most recently served as Senior Director of Marketing for Sandoz US, after joining in 2007. "The need for high quality and affordable medicines in the US healthcare system is at an all time high," said Don DeGolyer. "Ensuring our customers needs are well understood and satisfied is a primary focus for Sandoz US. Rich's successful track record and deep knowledge of the US generic market played a key role in returning our US business to growth in 2009, and I have full confidence he will continue to grow our Retail business, improving our leadership position in the US market."
Sandoz represents a key pillar of the broad Novartis healthcare portfolio and is the second-largest generics company globally. Sandoz is also a global leader in the development, production and marketing of differentiated products, ranging from complex generic injectables and inhalables to biosimilars (follow-on biologics), where it is the worldwide pioneer and market leader.
In the US, Sandoz employs nearly 1,300 associates and is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. Its US product range spans all therapeutic classes, with key technologies including extended release oral solids, injectables and patches.
Disclaimer
The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "will", "looking forward", or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential regarding potential future revenues from Sandoz North America. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Sandoz North America will achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Sandoz performance could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; unexpected patent litigation outcomes; unexpected inabilities to obtain or maintain exclusivity periods for our products; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Novartis Group's assets and liabilities as recorded in the Group's consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Division of the Novartis group, is a global leader in the field of generic pharmaceuticals, offering a wide array of high-quality, affordable products that are no longer protected by patents. Sandoz has a portfolio of about 1000 compounds and sells its products in more than 130 countries. Key product groups include antibiotics, treatments for central nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal medicines, cardiovascular treatments and hormone therapies. Sandoz develops, produces and markets these medicines along with pharmaceutical and biotechnological active substances and anti-infectives. In addition to strong organic growth in recent years, Sandoz has made a series of acquisitions including Lek (Slovenia), Sabex (Canada), Hexal (Germany), Eon Labs (US) and EBEWE Pharma (Austria). In 2009, Sandoz employed around 23,000 people worldwide and posted sales of USD 7.5 billion.
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