Daiichi Sankyo proposes new president and CEO

Daiichi Sankyo has announced that Joji Nakayama has been nominated as the company’s new president and chief executive officer (CEO).

The pharmaceutical firm’s board of directors has proposed Mr Nakayama to replace Takashi Shoda, who would instead become chairman of Daiichi Sankyo should the appointment be approved.

These changes would also see Mr Nakayama continue in his current role of president of Daiichi Sankyo’s Japanese operations, while Mr Shoda’s status as a corporate officer would not be affected.

Daiichi Sankyo explained that this change is “in line with [its] goal of accelerating the deployment of a hybrid business model – to fulfil the company’s vision of becoming a global pharma innovator by 2015”.

The appointments will be voted on at the company’s fifth annual general meeting of shareholders, which takes place on June 28th 2010.

Earlier this month, Daiichi Sankyo reported new trial data from a clinical study of the hypertension drug Azor, demonstrating its safety and efficacy.