Novo Nordisk has hired AstraZeneca’s head of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases to head its biopharma business, which has been struggling with declining sales and a failed acquisition.
Ludovic Helfgott will replace Jesper Brandgaard, who resigned as CFO earlier this year, when he retires in April next year after 20 years at the Danish company.
Novo, best known for its diabetes drugs, is on the hunt for promising assets to boost its struggling blood products business after it lost out to French rival Sanofi in the chase for Belgian biotech company Ablynx in January.
Novo’s biopharmaceutical business, which saw sales fall 16 percent last year, comprises its haemophilia and human growth hormone franchises.
By Stine Jacobsen
Source: Reuters
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.
