Allergan Plc said on Thursday former Abbott Laboratories executive Thomas Freyman will join its board, a week after two of its shareholders criticized the drugmaker’s acquisition strategy and board composition.
Allergan, whose director Patrick O’Sullivan will retire from the board in July, said its board will continue to have 12 members of which 10 are independent, following the changes.
Freyman, who retired from Abbott in 2017, most recently served as executive vice president, finance and administration for the company since June 2015.
Last week, two of Allergan’s shareholders, hedge funds Appaloosa Management and Senator Investment Group, asked the drugmaker’s board to split the role of chief executive officer and chairman as well as reconsider its acquisition strategy.
By Ankur Banerjee
Source: Reuters
Novartis will acquire Mariana’s lead candidate MC-339, a radioligand therapy (RLT) designed to target small-cell lung cancer. Last year, Mariana had raised $175m in a Series B round from several funds and pharma giant Eli Lilly.
The company’s aspiration to expand the use of its obesity products to cardiovascular indications has been successful. In March, its blockbuster drug Wegovy was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in obese or overweight adults.
Massachusetts-based Deciphera brings to the table an extensive kinase inhibitor pipeline, kinase drug discovery expertise, and a strong commercial and sales platform in the US and European markets that is meant to advance Ono’s capabilities and presence in the oncology space.