Ipsen appoints new chairman and CEO

Ipsen has announced that its chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Jean-Luc Belingard has left the company, with Marc de Garidel stepping into the top role.

Mr Belingard, who has led the pharmaceutical firm for nine years, has departed from the job as the company looks to pursue new growth and development strategies.

He will be succeeded by Mr de Garidel on November 22nd 2010, with the incoming chairman and CEO tasked with expanding Ipsen's presence in the US and emerging markets.

Ipsen's board of directors thanked Mr Belingard for his contributions to the firm's development, as well as expressing confidence in the ability of former Lilly and Amgen executive Mr de Garidel to take the company forward.

The new CEO said: "I am delighted to succeed Jean-Luc Belingard and proud to be granted the opportunity to write a new chapter in Ipsen's history."

Earlier this week, Ipsen moved to strengthen its future growth prospects further by selling off its shares in the reproductive medicine business PregLem.