Another top exec leaves AstraZeneca
This article was originally published in Scrip
A second top AstraZeneca executive is to leave the company in as many weeks. James Ward-Lilley, currently head of AstraZeneca's respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity product and portfolio strategy, and a 28-year veteran of the company, is to become CEO of Vectura, a small UK firm focused on lung disease.
Earlier this month AstraZeneca announced that Briggs Morrison, its chief medical officer and head of late-stage drug development, would be leaving the company. He took up the position of CEO of privately owned oncology firm Syndax.
AstraZeneca claims the near-simultaneous moves are "pure coincidence."
"I am looking forward to driving the business forward and ensuring the company achieves its goal of becoming a speciality pharmaceutical company," said Mr Ward-Lilley in a statement.
He is to take up the CEO role on 1 October, succeeding Chris Blackwell, whose decision to leave Vectura was announced back in February. He is due to step down at the end of this month, with Dr Trevor Phillips acting as interim CEO in the meantime.
Mr Ward-Lilly's departure is a blow to AstraZeneca, which has marked the respiratory area as one of its key growth businesses. Recent acquisitions to bolster the franchise include Pearl Therapeutics in 2013, Almirall's respiratory business in 2014, and Actavis's North America respiratory business earlier this year.