Astellas appoints new head of global pharmacovigilance

Astellas has announced the appointment of Dr Songlin Xue as its new head of global pharmacovigilance, reporting to chief medical officer Dr Sef Kurstjens.

Dr Xue's career in the pharmaceutical industry spans more than 20 years and has seen him hold a series of increasingly senior roles with global responsibilities in drug safety and pharmacoepidemiology.

Most recently, he served as senior vice-president and head of global pharmacovigilance at Takeda, while his other former employers include major companies such as Novartis and Wyeth.

His appointment follows the recent creation of the chief medical officer role filled by Dr Kurstjens and will help to further reinforce Astellas' global compliance structure.

The firm's president and chief executive officer Yoshihiko Hatanaka said: "Dr Xue's knowledge and experience will help the company pursue its operational excellence and further enhance our global pharmacovigilance and product compliance capabilities."

Earlier this month, Astellas announced that it will be collaborating with other Japanese drugmakers – including Takeda, Eisai and Daiichi Sankyo – on the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund project, which aims to improve access to medicines in poorer nations.