Astellas names global development operations head

Astellas has announced the appointment of Eric Terhaerdt as its new senior vice-president of global development operations.

Mr Terhaerdt will take responsibility for establishing the global direction of the company's drug development operations in the Netherlands and the US, while working closely with Japan Development Operations to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

He previously spent more than two decades with AstraZeneca, serving in a variety of global leadership roles in the areas of clinical research, clinical development, clinical quality, strategy and performance, and scientific and technical evaluations.

In his new role, Mr Terhaerdt will play an instrumental role in defining development strategy and ensuring the effective and efficient development of the Astellas product portfolio.

Dr Bernie Zeiher, executive vice-president of global development at Astellas, said: "His diverse international experience in drug development, strategic planning and change management will help Astellas continue to address the unmet needs of our patients."

The company's drug research division enjoyed a successful year in 2014, with the phase III Prevail trial of its prostate cancer therapy Xtandi named as the most significant clinical advance of the year by Scrip.