Merck is looking for stability at the top of its human health business after turnover in the past year.
Frank Clyburn, who most recently served as president of the human health business, last month announced he would depart to take the CEO role at IFF, a New York-based maker of ingredients for food, fragrances and health products.
Clyburn hadn’t yet served a year in the position. He took over in March 2021 from Michael Nally, who himself left for a CEO job at another company.
The New Jersey-based drugmaker has been rebuilding its leadership team after the departure of long-time CEO Kenneth Frazier and research chief Roger Perlmutter in 2021. While the company is conducting an external search for its new Human Health International chief, its other choices show a willingness to promote from within.
Garay has been with the company since 2006 and previously led pharmaceutical global marketing, commercial analytics and digital marketing. Oosthuizen, who formerly helmed Merck’s business in Japan as well as oncology operations in the Asia Pacific and Latin America, has worked at the company since 2014 after a two-decade career at Eli Lilly.
Khanna, meanwhile, has been at Merck since 1988, working his way up from field sales to top roles in the oncology business. The three executives will assume their human health posts as of Feb. 28. They will sit on the executive team and report directly to CEO Robert Davis, Merck said.
By Kristin Jensen
Source: biopharmadive.com
Airnov provides critical healthcare industries with high-quality, controlled atmosphere packaging, to protect their products from moisture and oxygen. The business has manufacturing facilities in the USA, France, China and India and employs around 700 people.
Takeda of Japan has partnered with Hong Kong-based Hutchmed, gaining the commercial rights to colorectal cancer drug fruquintinib outside of China for $400 million up front, plus $730 million in potential milestone payments. Takeda also will help develop fruquintinib, which can be applied to subtypes of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, regardless of biomarker status, the companies said.
On April 3, Scangos, who’s been chief executive officer at Vir since the start of 2017, will hand over the reins to Marianne De Backer, Ph.D. De Backer comes over from Bayer, where she currently heads up pharmaceutical strategy, business development and licensing. Alongside her CEO appointment, De Backer is set to join Vir’s board of directors, the company said Wednesday.
