CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced today the appointment of Jean-Paul Kress, MD, as Executive Vice President and President, International, and Head of Global Therapeutic Operations, effective June 19.
Dr. Kress will have direct responsibility for worldwide commercial operations outside the U.S. and will also oversee the Rare and Specialty Disease Asset teams. Dr. Kress will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Michel Vounatsos and be a member of Biogen’s Executive Committee.
“Jean-Paul brings deep expertise and decades of industry experience to Biogen at an important time for the company,” said Vounatsos. “As we seek to optimize our commercial function in support of our investigational compounds and build upon the leadership position of our current therapies, I believe that Jean-Paul’s strategic vision and sharp customer focus will help ensure that patients around the world gain access to transformative therapies.”
Dr. Kress was most recently senior vice president, head of North America at Sanofi Genzyme, where he oversaw the multiple sclerosis, oncology, and immunology business units in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to his 2015 arrival at Sanofi Genzyme, he spent four years as president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur MSD leading a variety of functions, including sales and marketing, market access, supply chain support, and medical affairs.
“Having watched Biogen excel in the neurology space, it is truly exciting to be joining such an admired and respected industry leader,” said Dr. Kress. “Biogen’s clear and unwavering commitment to neuroscience and to critically underserved patient populations is unique and extremely inspiring.”
Dr. Kress holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in biochemistry and molecular and cellular pharmacology from Ecole normale superieure, Paris, and an M.D. from Faculte Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris. His industry experience also includes leadership roles with Eli Lilly, Abbott Laboratories, and Gilead Sciences.
About Biogen
Through cutting-edge science and medicine,
Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies
for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative
diseases. Founded in 1978, Biogen is a pioneer in biotechnology, and
today the company has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat
multiple sclerosis; has introduced the first and only approved treatment
for spinal muscular atrophy; and is at the forefront of neurology
research for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biogen also manufactures and
commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics. For more information,
please visit www.biogen.com.
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