Merck Serono executive named president of IFPMA

Merck Serono has announced that its executive board member Stefan Oschmann has been named president of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations).

Mr Oschmann, the company's pharmaceutical chief executive officer, has been selected for the role having served as vice-president of the industry organisation since 2012. His term as president runs for two years.

His presidency will focus on accelerating access to high-quality health solutions for people in low and middle-income countries through a number of channels, including encouraging innovation and building infrastructure.

The recent Ebola crisis has underlined the need for further work in this area, while it is also important to overcome the burden posed by chronic diseases.

Mr Oschmann said: "Much progress has been achieved in expanding access to health in these countries but the call for accelerating access demonstrates that there is still so much that needs to be done."

This comes after the firm announced a new alliance with the UK's Institute of Cancer Research and the Wellcome Trust last month, focusing on the development of new cancer therapies.