Roche appoints research and development head

Roche has announced changes to its executive committee, centring on the appointment of Dr John Reed as its new head of pharmaceutical research and early development.

He will take up this new role – and become part of the enlarged executive committee – on April 2nd 2013, at which point he will take over from interim research and development head Mike Burgess, who is leaving the company.

Dr Reed is one of the world’s leading biomedical researchers with expertise in fields such as cancer, neuroprotection, autoimmunity and other diseases, and is the current chief executive of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

He has authored hundreds of medical research publications and is among the world's most highly cited scientists for his research contributions, while he can also claim to have invented more than 100 patented innovations.

Company chief executive officer Severin Schwan said: "With his broad scientific and medical background, he is ideally positioned to drive Roche's strategy of translating a better understanding of disease mechanisms into promising therapeutics."

This comes after the firm announced last month that board members Professor Dr Bruno Gehrig and Lodewijk de Vink will not be standing for reelection at the Roche annual general meeting in March 2013.