Appointments at Icon, MPI Research and Laxai – People on the move

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Icon, MPI Research and Laxai.

Icon has appointed Alan Marion as vice president (VP) and medical director of its new clinical pharmacology unit in Omaha, Nebraska, US. Before joining Icon Marion worked for nine years at MDS Pharma Services.

Tina Rogers has been appointed as director of research at MPI Research. Rogers, who was previously MPI’s discovery center director, is replacing Jim Laveglia who will continue to serve on the company’s corporate management team and board of directors.

Laveglia joined MPI in the mid-1990s and has held various positions at the company. Rogers has worked at MPI since 2007 and has more than 20 years experience at contract research organisations (CRO).

Laxai has appointed Naren Mallakunta as CEO. Before joining the CRO Mallakunta was global head of business development at GVK Biosciences.

Robbie Franks has joined MedSource as the company’s VP of clinical operations. Franks has more than 20 years experience of Phase I-IV studies, at companies including Trio Clinical Research, LLC and i3 Research.

Absorption Systems has appointed Sarath Kanekal as VP of pharmacology and toxicology. Kanekal has 16 years experience in the preclinical sector and will take responsibility for the company’s in vivo toxicology and pharmacokinetics facility in San Diego, California, US.

He has previously been responsible for safety work on drugs from Novartis, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline and Chiron.

Bart Vickers has been appointed as director of technology services at Intouch Solutions, a provider of digital marketing services to the pharma industry.

The company has also appointed Michelle Comparetti-Ziekert as creative director.