Appointments at Intrexon, Cephalon, NeoPharma and Chelsea Therapeutics – People on the move
Intrexon has appointed Gerardo Zapata president of its protein production division and senior vice president (VP). Zapata has more than 20 years experience in protein biochemistry and process development.
During this time Zapata has worked at organisations including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline and Amgen.
Bob Repella has been named as senior VP, US pharmaceutical operations at Cephalon. Repella has previously worked at Wyeth, where he spent 16 years, Merck & Co and Eli Lilly.
NeoPharm has appointed Aquilur Rahman as its president and CEO, replacing Laurence Birch who has stepped down to pursue other opportunities. Rahman was one of the company’s founders and served as its chief scientific officer.
William Schwieterman has been appointed to the newly created position of chief medical officer at Chelsea Therapeutics. Schwieterman has more than 25 years experience, including time at the FDA, and has served Chelsea in an advisory capacity for the past four years.
CNS Protein Therapeutics has changed its name to Amarantus Therapeutics and appointed Martin Cleary as CEO, replacing co-founder Gerald Commissiong.
Cleary has previously been CEO of Juvaris Therapeutics, Genteric, CardioGene Therapeutics and Theragen. He has also worked as VP of operations at Johnson & Johnson’s IOLab.
Santaris Pharma has appointed Mark Wedel as VP and chief medical officer and Stuart Mackey VP strategy and chief business officer. Both will be based at Santaris’ recently established US subsidiary.
Wedel joins the company from Isis Pharmaceuticals and Mackey has spent the past 10 years at Amgen, most recently as managing director of its venture capital affiliate.
The government of Andhra Pradesh has appointed M Kodandaram as director of the state’s Drugs Control Administration.
