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
Giovanni Caforio, the former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, is set to become the next board chairman of Novartis, which on Tuesday proposed the pharmaceutical industry veteran as its pick to replace Joerg Reinhardt in the role next year. Reinhardt has served as Novartis’ chair since 2013 and plans to retire when his 12-year term ends in 2025.
GE HealthCare has raised the curtain on two ultrasound systems equipped with artificial intelligence programs designed to assist in diagnosing conditions in women’s health, including obstetric exams. The Voluson Signature 20 and 18 imaging systems include AI tools capable of automatically identifying and annotating measurements of fetal anatomy.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Chemistry have revealed a new sustainable method of manufacturing complex molecules that could reduce waste produced during drug production. The method published in Nature Chemistry could help to prevent severe side effects caused by drugs that can exist as enantiomers.
