Merck Sharp and Dohme appoints new research leader

Merck Sharp and Dohme has announced the appointment of Dr Roger Perlmutter as its new executive vice-president and president of Merck Research Laboratories.

Dr Perlmutter first joined the company in 1997, returning to Merck in February 2012 following a successful 11-year spell as executive vice-president and head of research and development at fellow pharmaceutical company Amgen.

He will take up his new role on April 15th 2013, succeeding Dr Peter Kim, who has served in the position since 2003 and is set to retire from the company in August.

The two men will work closely together for an initial period in order to ensure a seamless transition, after which point  Dr Kim will remain with the company as an advisor until his retirement date.

Kenneth Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer at Merck Sharp and Dohme, said: "I am confident that under Roger's leadership, Merck will continue to build upon our legacy of translating cutting-edge science into medically important products that make a difference for patients."

Earlier this week, the company received an Energy Star 2013 partner of the year award for sustained excellence from the US Environmental Protection Agency, in recognition of its strong performance in terms of energy management over the last year.