Novo Nordisk Names CMO North America
Novo Nordisk appointed Todd Hobbs, MD, as Chief Medical Officer for North America. Hobbs previously served as the Chairman of the Medicine Department for Baptist Hospital Medical Center in Kentucky. In this position, Hobbs will focus on the implications of diabetes for the company and for patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems, provide medical guidance and input to the clinical development and lifecycle management strategies for diabetes and obesity-related projects and provide input into the R&D pipeline. Hobbs and his son are both diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Anne Phillips, MD, Senior Vice President, and Clinical Medical & Regulatory Affairs for Novo Nordisk, notes, “Todd brings a unique perspective and shares our passion for patient centricity.”
McCann Health Americas Names First President
Amar Urhekar has been promoted to the newly created position of President, McCann Health Americas. Previously, he served as the company’s Executive VP based in Singapore. Urhekar will lead North and South American professional healthcare operations. In 2000, Urhekar founded an agency in India working with McCann Health, and in 2004, became Managing Director of McCann Health Greater China. In 2009, he became President of Japan McCann Health group. By 2012, McCann Health was named “Specialist Agency Network of the Year” by Asia Magazine. Urhekar, who will be based in New York, says, “I am excited by the opportunities this move provides to myself and our network at this time when the healthcare marketplace is changing through reforms and consumerization.”
3D Communications
Virginia Cox, JD, re-joins 3D Communications at its Washington, D.C. office after more than two years as Associate Commissioner for the Office of External Affairs at the FDA. At 3D Communications, Cox will provide high-level strategic and tactical advice to clients and help develop new client services.
Express Scripts
Express Scripts Holding Company appointed Tim Wentworth as president. He will take on all management responsibilities for the company’s core business. In his new role, Wentworth is responsible for core sales and account management teams, information technology, operations, research, new solutions and supply chain management.
F.M. Howell & Company
Glen R. LaNeve and Douglas M. McGinnis are now members of the company’s Board of Directors. LaNeve serves as Director of Sales and Strategic Business Development for Howell Marketing Services, and McGinnis serves as Division Manager for Howell Plastics.
National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC)
Jeff Huth, Senior Vice President, Managed Markets of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was named as the Chairman to the Board of Directors for NPC. Huth has served on the board since 2009, and held previous positions of vice chair and treasurer. The NPC will benefit from his experience and skills in the markets of respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, anti-viral and oncology areas.
NeuroSigma
Gregory F. Brooks is the newly appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for NeuroSigma, Inc. Brooks has more than 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical, biologic and medical device industries. Previously working with Allergan, he served as Vice President of Global Strategic Marketing, responsible for global product line launches.
Metamark
Metamark Genetics, Inc., a leader in the discovery of molecular and prognostic tests for cancer, named Jonathan Lieber as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The appointment marks the most recent expansion of the executive team as Metamark prepares for the launch this year of a novel prognostic test for the management of prostate cancer. Previously, Lieber served as CFO at Repligen Corp. and Altus Pharmaceuticals.
PTC Therapeutics
PTC Therapeutics expanded its senior management and appointed Robert J. Spiegel, MD, as Chief Medical Officer and Murad Husain as Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs. Previously, Spiegel was Chief Medical Officer of Schering-Plough. Husain previously led worldwide regulatory teams for companies including Pfizer, Hoffmann-La Roche, Serono, AstraZeneca and Forest Laboratories.
Purdue Pharma L.P.
Purdue Pharma L.P. appointed Mark Timney as President and CEO. Prior to joining Purdue, he was President of Merck US, where he managed sales and marketing, managed markets and payers. Timney brings more than 20 years of pharmaceutical sales and marketing experience to Purdue that includes designing and executing successful strategies to achieve market leadership.
Sansum Diabetes Research Institute
David Kerr, MD, FRCPE, is now the Director of Diabetes Research and Innovation for Sansum Diabetes Research Institute. Previously, he was the consultant physician and endocrinologist at Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre in the United Kingdom and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Shire
Susan Kilsby is appointed Chairman of the Board to become effective on April 29, 2014. Kilsby is also a Non-Executive Director of BBA Aviation plc, Coca-Cola HBC AG and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. In May 2013, she was appointed Chairman of Shire’s Audit, Compliance & Risk Committee.
Sorbent Therapeutics
Sorbent Therapeutics named Tom O’Neil as Chief Financial Officer. With more than 15 years experience, O’Neil previously served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals. His new position entails overseeing all financial operations for Sorbent.
Spark Therapeutics
Dr. Rogerio Vivaldi has been named to Board of Directors at Spark Therapeutics. Previously, he served as the head of rare diseases at Genzyme. He will complete clinical development of Spark’s Phase 3 initiative to address inherited retinal dystrophies caused by mutations in genes.
