Biogen Idec names new head of gene therapy

Biogen Idec has announced the appointment of Dr Olivier Danos as its new senior vice-president for gene therapy, joining the company's senior research and development leadership team.

Dr Danos has been recruited from Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, where he has served as senior vice-president for molecular medicine, synthetic biology and gene regulation since 2011. Past employers also include Genethon and Somatix Therapy Corporation.

In his new role, he will lead the firm's gene therapy research group, which is dedicated to identifying and developing new technologies for gene transfer and genome engineering.

He will also help to identify potential collaborations that complement the company's internal capabilities and support the development of treatments across its therapeutic focus areas.

Dr Douglas Williams, Biogen Idec's executive vice-president for research and development, said: "We believe that his expertise will help accelerate our development of a world-class gene therapy platform that combines our growing internal capabilities with collaborations with leading research organisations across the globe."

This follows the appointment of Adriana Karaboutis as the company's new executive vice-president for technology and business solutions last month.