Trigen (Germany), a drug development company developing biologics for use in antithrombotic therapy, has appointed Dr Ayad Abdul-Ahad chief executive officer and Dr Norbert Bender chief medical officer. Dr Abdul-Ahad joins from Biogen Idec, where he served as vice-president and head of international medical affairs; he has also worked at Berlex Laboratories, AstraZeneca, SmithKline Beecham and Serono. Dr Bender has more than 10 years' experience as a medical doctor and has more than 15 years' experience in pharmaceutical companies, having previously worked at Hoescht, BASF Pharma Knoll, Cardion and The Vaccines Company.

Partnering is a must for every drug firm these days. But Roche's reputation as a committed, yet hands-off development partner--forged in its relationship with Genentech--still sets it apart. Critics accuse the Swiss group of using partners to fill the gap in its own R&D; indeed, much of Roche's recent growth has come from others' drugs. Roche executives argue that you can't spot winners outside without a strong internal engine; that engine remains unproven. But point isn't whether Roche's own R&D is strong or weak. The point is, does it matter?

Summarizing the month in European dealmaking.

Summarizing the month in European dealmaking.