Sanofi names new chief scientific officer

Sanofi has announced the appointment of Dr Gary Nabel as its new senior vice-president, chief scientific officer and deputy to the president for global research and development.

Dr Nabel will take up his new role on December 3rd 2012 and joins the company from the US National Institutes of Health, where he played a key role in guiding vaccine research for a number of years.

At Sanofi, he will be responsible for assessing and coordinating the company's scientific direction for biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and animal health, with the overall aim of improving translational approaches.

He will also join the firm's global leadership team and help to guide Sanofi's overall strategy.

Christopher Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, said: "Dr Nabel's impressive scientific record and experience will be extremely valuable to the group. I am confident that with his leadership, we can drive research and development further towards tomorrow's breakthrough discoveries." 

Earlier this month, the company announced the commencement of a phase III trial of SAR236553/REGN727, an investigational therapy for hypercholesterolemia developed alongside Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.