Alfred Sandrock takes over R&D responsibilities at Biogen

Michael Ehlers, incumbent head of R&D at Biogen, is to leave his position to take up the role of chief executive officer at Limelight Bio, a new gene therapy start-up, and chief scientific officer at NY based Apple Tree Partners, a life sciences venture capital firm. Mr Ehlers will be replaced by Biogen’s chief medical officer Alfred Sandrock.
Mr Ehlers joined Biogen in 2016 and was previously chief scientific officer at Pfizer’s neuroscience R&D. He said he believes it is “the right time to pass the baton.” Shares in Biogen fell around 2% on the news of his departure.
Michel Vounatsos, Biogen’s Chief Executive Officer, thanked Mr Ehlers for the “substantial progress made in our pipeline during his three years at Biogen” and said that Mr Ehlers had “transformed the R&D organisation and I believe he has built the best neuroscience team in the industry”.