Management Change At Actelion - Isaac Kobrin To Take Newly Created Position Of Chief Medical Officer

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 14 Jun 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) announced the creation of the position of Chief Medical Officer (CMO). This change was initiated to fulfill the needs of a fast growing organization, which is developing products rapidly and managing a growing portfolio. Effective 1 July 2009, the current Head of Clinical Development, Isaac Kobrin will move into this position. He will continue to be a member of Actelion's Executive Committee (AEC).

As a consequence, Isaac will hand over his position as Head of Clinical Development to Guy Braunstein. Guy joins Actelion having served as Chief Medical Officer at Merck Serono and, before this, as Chief Medical Officer at Serono International. Guy will join Actelion's Executive Committee adding his more than 20 years of experience to Actelion's senior management decision-making committee.

Jean-Paul Clozel, M.D. and Chief Executive Officer commented: "With Isaac in this new position and the introduction of Guy to the Clinical Development team, we are increasing our focus on scientific and drug development expertise at Actelion. The sharing of this know-how across the functions of drug discovery, clinical development, registration and commercialization will ensure continued rapid advancement of our innovative compounds that will make a real difference to patients."

Isaac Kobrin, Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development and Member of the Actelion Executive Committee commented: "I look forward to taking up this next challenge in my career with Actelion, knowing that the clinical development team will be in good hands with Guy. He brings an excellent understanding of what it takes to fully develop innovative compounds, providing physicians with evidence-based medicine. His arrival at Actelion will bring a fresh approach to our existing and future pipeline and I am sure that this collaborative approach will build on and advance our clinical capabilities."

Guy Braunstein commented: "I am very excited to be joining Actelion where I have found energetic people who are committed to driving their compounds forward with a focus on the patient. The team I have met truly understands the importance of integrating science and medicine to offer potential therapies for these patients who are in desperate need of treatment. In this environment I feel we have an opportunity to really make a difference."

About Guy Braunstein

Guy Braunstein is a French citizen with an MD and is specialized in respiratory medicine. He has a PhD in life science.

Guy joins Actelion from Merck Serono, where he was the Chief Medical Office, having served for 4 years before that as Chief Medical Officer at Serono International. His more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry spans a wide range of experience from affiliate Medical Director and Global Medical Affairs through to Research and Development roles. Guy has worked in both large pharmaceutical and biotech environments in companies such as Astra, Glaxo-Wellcome, GSK, Fisons, Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and Chiron. During this time he built experience in multiple therapeutic areas, in particular respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis and oncology.

About Isaac Kobrin

Isaac Kobrin is an internist educated in Israel with further training (Fullbright Fellowship) at the Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans, LA, USA, mainly in the cardiovascular and nephrology fields.

He joined the clinical cardiovascular development department at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd in 1989. During his 10 years at Roche he was responsible for the worldwide clinical development of key compounds within the company's cardiovascular portfolio (from Phase 1 to marketing approval). In 1997 he became Group Leader of the cardiovascular development group.

Isaac joined Actelion in September 1999 as Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development.

Source
Actelion Ltd