MANUFACTURERS
MediGene AG has appointed Frank Mathias to the executive board in charge of the new marketing division and for business development. Mathias, previously general manager of Amgen GmbH, Germany, is to take up his new appointment on April 1, and will run MediGene AG’s proposed marketing activities. These include the setting up of a MediGene marketing organization, the anticipated market launch of the drugs Oracea and Veregen, and the further development of the product portfolio by licensing marketing rights. Mathias has around 20 years experience in marketing drugs at a senior level with Hoechst, Albert-Roussel Pharma, Servier Germany and Amgen.
Solstice Neurosciences announced the appointment of Dennis Smith as president and CEO. He will also continue to serve as chairman to its board of directors. Smith most recently served as president and CEO of INO Therapeutics, a specialty pharmaceutical company. Prior to INO, Smith spent 15 years with DuPont Pharmaceutical Company, where he served as president of US operations, EVP of Europe, and VP and GM in Canada, among numerous other positions at DuPont Pharmaceuticals and DuPont Merck. Smith was also employed in management positions at Baxter International and Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis).
AGENCIES
Palio, an inVentiv Health company, announced the appointments of Rachael Fantauzzi as assistant account executive, Chau Ho as brand designer, Katie Moffett as account executive and Phillip Quindara as account supervisor.
MEDIA
Aviva Belsky has been named publisher of Dowden Health Media‘s Contemporary Surgery. Belsky joined Dowden in September 2003 as senior account manager for Contemporary Surgery and OBG Management and has expanded the base of activities on these titles significantly. In November 2006, she rose to the position of associate publisher of the professional division. In addition to her new role as publisher of Contemporary Surgery, Belsky will remain associate publisher of OBG Management.
Advanstar Communications has named M. Kerry Robinson director of sales for ModernMedicine.com. Sean Keating has been named product director for ModernMedicine.com Karen Clemments has assumed the role of managing editor on ModernMedicine.com.
COMPANY NEWS
Cubist Pharmaceuticals acquired Illumigen Biosciences for $9 million in cash. Under the agreement, Cubist also will make payments during the development of Illumigen’s lead compound, hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy IB657, of up to $75.5 million upon achieving certain development and regulatory milestones, up to $117 million if Cubist develops Illumigen products for the treatment of viruses other than HCV, and additional milestone payments of up to $140 million as well as tiered royalties if HCV or other Illumigen antiviral products are commercialized. Cubist expects to file an IND for IB657 in 2008.
