Chugai appoints new executive

Chugai Pharmaceutical Company has announced that Christopher Murray has been welcomed as a new member of its executive team.

Mr Murray will join the Japanese pharmaceutical firm this month as a special advisor and will then take up his position as executive-vice president in March 2008 at the meeting of board directors.

He is also to be approved as a board member at the General Shareholders Meeting in the same month.

Chugai has confirmed that it is in the process of overseeing significant changes in its operations following its alliance with the Roche Group.

In particular, it has outlined a series of new products to be developed in the coming years.

Having previously enjoying a lengthy career at Roche, the company expects Mr Murray to successfully contribute to the growth of Chugai’s position in the Japanese market.

Mr Murray joined Roche Hong Kong in 1967 and since then has taken up various posts in Roche’s Pharmaceuticals Division until being appointed director of Pharma International in 2000.

Last month, Chugai Pharmaceutical and Roche announced the submission of a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for Actemra (tocilizumab) as a treatment for the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.