UCB appoints new executive vice-president

UCB, a pharmaceutical firm, has announced the recruitment of a new executive vice-president within its ranks.

Ismail Kola will take up the posts of executive vice-president of UCB and the president of new medicines and will join the company’s executive committee from November 23rd 2009.

Mr Kola’s previous position was that of senior vice-president of discovery, research and early clinical research and experimental medicine and chief scientific officer at Schering-Plough.

Before this, the professional occupied the role of senior vice-president and site head of basic research at Merck.

“UCB is gaining a highly accomplished scientist with a track record of success in academia and the biopharma field. I am confident that Ismail will make major leaps to the development of UCB NewMedicines,” explained Roch Doliveux, chief executive officer of the firm.

Last month, UCB posted its financial results for the third quarter of 2009, revealing the strong growth of Xyzal (levocetirizine) in the US and of Zyrtec (cetirizine) in Japan.