Asia Executives On The Move: Returners And Leavers At Merck; Changes At Takeda, Ono, Simcere And More
Executive Summary
Merck China former R&D head returns after a short stint with startup Ascletis, and Takeda has a new center director for commercial health. Top executives change also take place at Ono in Korea and Simcere Pharma.
Former Merck & Co. Inc. China R&D head Zhengqing Li, who left the position to become chief medical officer and head of Greater China R&D for Chinese venture Ascletis Pharma Inc., has returned to Merck (known as MSD outside North America).
Li was a vice-president and head of Merck's China R&D, and helped the US firm establish its R&D center in Beijing. He left the position in February to join Hangzhou-based Ascletis, reporting to CEO Jinzi Wu.
But in July, Li returned to Merck to assume leadership of China R&D and become a member of the leadership team at Merck Research Laboratories, reporting to Merck CMO Roy Baynes.
Ascletis said it will search for a new CMO, with CEO Wu to take over the R&D position in the interim.
Elsewhere in Asia, MSD has appointed Javed Alam as its new general manager. Before taking the Seoul-based position, Alam was the GM for Merck Vietnam in Ho Chi Min City. He joined the US company in 2014 and has years of industry experience from previous positions with Novartis and Sanofi.
MSD India
Still at MSD, the company in India has announced that managing director Vivek Vasudev Kamath will be leaving to pursue external opportunities, effective 30 August. Vivek joined MSD India in 2012 as Cardiovascular & Metabolics Business Unit director, and was given additional responsibility to drive the Market Access & Public Markets business in 2015. Vivek was appointed MD for India in 2017.
The new MD for MSD in India will be the subject of a future announcement, the company said. MSD in India operates its business through three legal entities, MSD Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Organon (India) Private Limited, and Fulford (India) Limited.
Takeda, Ono, Simcere
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s commercial health division on 1 August appointed Katsuyuki Yokogawa as director of its product technology research center.
Meanwhile, another Japanese firm Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has named Min-yeol Yang the new CEO for Korea, effective September. Yang previously worked for Eisai Korea and in 2014 joined Ono as a VP, overseeing the launch of Ono/Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab).
Nanjing-based major Chinese drug maker Simcere Pharmaceutical Group has hired former Merck China executive Cheng Zhang as its chief operating officer in charge of medical affairs, market access and sales, as well as commercial operations.
Zhang had over a decade-long career with Merck, mainly in pharma commercial operations. He previously oversaw sales and the diabetes and cardiovascular businesses for Merck in China.
ASLAN Non-Exec Chairman
Singapore-based Aslan Pharmaceuticals Pte. Ltd. has named Andrew Howden non-executive chairman. Carl Firth, who has held the positions of chairman and CEO since founding the company in 2010, will continue to serve as CEO and a director. This planned separation of the chairman and CEO roles was conducted to align to best corporate governance practices.
Howden has served on ASLAN’s board since April 2016 and brings over 35 years of commercial and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He previously served as the CEO of iNova Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd., an Asia-Pacific pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing drugs across a range of therapeutic areas, until its acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Prior to this, he was regional head for AstraZeneca, Quintiles and IMS Health.
Astellas US CRQA Appointment
Astellas Pharma Inc. has said that David Fryrear joined its Medical and Development (M&D) organization as senior vice-president and head of the Clinical and Research Quality Assurance (CRQA) organization in June. Fryrear will be located at Astellas' M&D headquarters in Northbrook, IL and will be responsible for providing the global vision, leadership and strategic direction of CRQA. He will report to chief medical officer Bernhardt Zeiher.
Fryrear has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently in senior leadership roles at AbbVie Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. in R&D quality assurance and global quality systems.