Israel’s BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, which is developing an adult stem cell treatment for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), on Monday named Ralph Kern as chief operating officer.
Kern, who has also been named chief medical officer, joins BrainStorm from Biogen, where he was senior vice president and head of worldwide medical. At Biogen he helped define the company’s therapeutic area and scientific strategies for Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, Parkinson’s, neurodegeneration and hemophilia.
He was previously head of the neuroscience medical unit at Novartis and global medical director of personalized genetic health at Genzyme Corp.
BrainStorm is preparing to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial for its NurOwn treatment at multiple sites in the United States and Israel. The company has said the advanced trial is expected to begin enrolling patients in the second quarter.
“I am confident that BrainStorm will become the world leader in adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders,” Kern said.
By Tova Cohen
Source: Reuters
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.
