Appointments: AstraZeneca, Biogen, Merrimack, Glythera And PTC Therapeutics

This week’s round-up includes major immune-oncology-related hirings at AstraZeneca and MedImmune, a strengthening of Biogen’s US commercial activities, and a new face at Merrimack to execute its business strategy.

Geoffrey Kim has been appointed head of oncology strategic combinations at AstraZeneca PLC, and Jean-Charles Soria has joined MedImmune LLC as senior vice president, head of oncology innovative medicines. Kim was most recently director, division of oncology products, at the US FDA’s office of hematology oncology products, and will focus on the development of AstraZeneca’s late-stage immuno-oncology combinations program. Soria was previously professor of medicine and medical oncology at France’s South-Paris University, and will lead a team responsible for the early oncology biologics portfolio at MedImmune. Both will be based in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Biogen has appointed Alisha Alaimo senior vice president of its US therapeutic operations, reporting to CEO Michel Vounatsos and focusing on its multiple sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy therapies. Alaimo joins from Novartis, where she was vice president and head of its cardiovascular business unit.

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. has named Thomas Needham as chief business officer, designing and implementing the company’s strategy for its pipeline of clinical and preclinical assets. Needham was most recently senior vice president of business development at C4 Therapeutics, responsible for executing business development strategy and corporate partnerships, and before that was a managing director at Synthesis Capital.

Taipei, Taiwan-based Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.,has appointed Lawrence Gan to the position of CEO. He will work closely with founder and executive chairman Ben Chien to ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities. Gan was formerly president and CEO of the Development Center for biotechnology in Taipei, and before that was a senior director at Biogen Inc., director of drug discovery at Boehringer Ingelheim, and senior director at Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. Foresee is developing stabilized injectable formulations of leuprolide, and an oral MMP-12 inhibitor for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

Mike Owen has been appointed to the board of the antibody-drug conjugate company, Glythera, as a non-executive director. Owen is a director of several companies including GammaDelta Therapeutics, ReNeuron plc and Zealand Pharma A/S, and was previously Chief Scientific Officer at Kymab. He left GlaxoSmithKline in 2010 where he was senior vice president and global head of research of the biopharmaceuticals R&D unit.

PTC Therapeutics Inc. has promoted Joseph McIntosh to senior vice president and head of clinical development, responsible for all aspects of clinical development across the company’s portfolio. McIntosh was previously vice president of clinical development, where he was the lead clinician within the development group, focused on rare diseases.