Daiichi Sankyo names new global drug development head

Daiichi Sankyo has announced the appointment of Dr Mahmoud Ghazzi as its new head of drug development, spanning the company's entire global operations.

Dr Ghazzi has been with the company since 2011, taking up the role of executive vice-president of drug development for the Americas region. He has been credited with playing a major part in guiding the firm's development strategy and portfolio planning.

Following his promotion, he will maintain his existing responsibilities as head of the Americas region, in addition to overseeing the Daiichi Sankyo teams in charge of researching and developing innovative medicines.

Prior to joining Daiichi Sankyo, the experienced professional previously worked with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, managing clinical trials for cardiovascular, metabolism, obesity and diabetes medications.

Dr Ghazzi said: "I am proud to be part of an organization that has built a reputation on providing patients with high quality, innovative therapies that address significant health issues."

This comes after the firm appointed Glenn Gormley and Greg Barrett to new roles within its executive team in the US in October 2013, following the departure of US president and chief executive John Gargiulo.