Ablynx NV today announced that Dr Bo Jesper Hansen, acting as permanent representative of Orfacare Consulting GmbH, has decided to resign from the Board of Directors with immediate effect for personal reasons.
Having contributed to Ablynx’s recent M&A activities, and served on the Board since 2013, Dr Hansen will now focus on other opportunities. He will be succeeded by Dr Russell G. Greig, acting as a permanent representative of Greig Biotechnology Global Consulting Inc., who has been a non-executive Director of Ablynx since 2012, and has been unanimously elected by the Ablynx Board as the new Chairman.
Dr Greig is an industry veteran and is currently Chairman of AM Pharma and MedEye (The NL), Sanifit (Spain and the USA), eTheRNA (Belgium), and a non-executive Director of TiGenix (Belgium). Following a 28-year career at GSK where he held the positions of President of both GSK Pharmaceuticals International and SROne (the Venture Arm of GSK), Dr Greig has served as Chairman of Novagali (sold to Santen), Isconova (to Novavax), Syntaxin (to Ipsen), and as a Venture Partner at Kurma Life Sciences (France).
Dr Edwin Moses, Chief Executive Officer at Ablynx, commented: “We are very fortunate to have a very suitable successor for Bo Jesper, allowing for an orderly transition at this time. Russell knows the company extremely well and will be an important asset during the next months.”
Dr Russell Greig, commented: “I am delighted to accept this position, having worked with the Ablynx Board over the past five years. My goal will be to fully support the proposed acquisition of the Company by Sanofi as recommended by the Ablynx Board.”
From 7 February 2018, the composition of the Board of Ablynx is as follows:
• Russell Greig, Chairman of the Board, acting as permanent representative of Greig Biotechnology Global Consulting Inc.
• Edwin Moses, Director and Chief Executive Officer
• William Jenkins, Independent Director, acting as principal of William Jenkins Pharma Consulting
• Catherine Moukheibir, Independent Director
• Remi Vermeiren, Independent Director
• Lutgart Van den Berghe, Independent Director, acting as permanent representative of NV Feadon
• Hilde Windels, Independent Director, acting as permanent representative of Hilde Windels BVBA
Source: Ablynx
Avivi joins Bayer fresh off a yearlong stint as chief marketing officer of Advance Auto Parts, which followed about three years spent as marketing chief of another auto parts company, Tenneco. Rounding out her nearly 30-year career in marketing are leadership roles at consumer goods giants Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble.
Air Liquide S.A. (Paris) is continuing its development with the acquisition of Homecare activities in Belgium and the Netherlands. The two entities acquired in Belgium and the Netherlands support 10,000 patients living with respiratory insufficiency, sleep apnea syndrome or requiring infusion or nutrition treatments.
US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay approximately $4.9 billion in cash to acquire Alpine Immune Sciences, a compatriot biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing innovative, protein-based immunotherapies.
