GlaxoSmithKline makes raft of R and D appointments

Health giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has made three major appointments to its research and development team, and has left one vacancy.

It announced on Thursday that it had signed up Ronald Krall to the positions of chief medical officer and senior vice president, and Amber Salzman to senior vice president of development operations. Allan Baxter, formerly head of GSK’s drug discovery work, takes over as senior vice president of late stage medicine development.

The round of hiring’s leaves Mr Baxter’s earlier position open, which GSK says will be filled “in due course”. In the meantime, the Centers of Excellent for Drug Discovery (CEDD) overseen by Mr Baxter will report directly to R&D chairman Tachi Yamada.

Ms Salzman recently held responsibility for late stage drug development, while Mr Krall has maintained regulations and led drug development at both GSK and AstraZeneca.

“GSK now has 97 clinical projects advancing potential new medicines, nearly double the number at the inception of our company five years ago, and in 2006 we will progress another eight major assets into Phase III,” Mr Yamada said.

He added: “To deliver on this promise, we must continue to evolve as an organisation focused on exquisite design, planning, and execution and the highest ethical standards in responding to medical needs.”

Tachi Yamada is due to retire on June 1st to make way for his successor Moncef Slaoui.

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