Biogen Names Christopher Viehbacher President and Chief Executive
Officer
Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced that its Board of
Directors has appointed Christopher A. Viehbacher as President and
Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors,
effective November 14. Viehbacher succeeds Michel Vounatsos, who
has led the company since 2017.
Viehbacher has extensive international experience in both large
pharmaceutical companies and entrepreneurial biotech companies.
After 20 years with GlaxoSmithKline, he served as global CEO of
Sanofi for six years, during which time the company overcame the
loss of exclusivity of most of its portfolio and pivoted to new
sources of growth such as Dupixent, which resulted from the
partnership with Regeneron, and in rare and specialty medicines
following the acquisition of Genzyme. Under Viehbacher’s
leadership, Sanofi strengthened and diversified its R&D
pipeline and delivered significant value to shareholders.
More recently, Viehbacher and Ernesto Bertarelli co-founded
Gurnet Point Capital, a Cambridge-based healthcare investment fund,
which has led to the creation and continuing development of many
innovative companies. He has also chaired or been a member of the
board of a number of entrepreneurial companies in
biotechnology. Viehbacher has always been a strong
advocate for innovation and public health. He has received a number
of awards including the Légion d’Honneur from
France.
Stelios Papadopoulos, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of Biogen,
said: “Chris is the rare pharma executive who has a keen
understanding of the complexities involved in running a
multibillion-dollar global pharma business as well as a deep
appreciation for the value of innovation. It was the combination of
these attributes that enabled him to turn around Sanofi and leave
behind a much better company compared to the one he inherited. I
look forward to Chris leading Biogen to the next chapter of its
evolution and, on behalf of the board, I pledge our support to his
effort.”
Mr. Viehbacher said: “It is both an honor and an exciting
opportunity to join the Biogen team. I greatly admire Biogen for
its determination and resilience in pioneering important new
medicines to address some of the most difficult and challenging
conditions in healthcare. I am inspired by Biogen’s mission and
untapped potential and look forward to working with the dedicated
Biogen team to build an even stronger company for the benefit of
patients, stakeholders and investors.”
Mr. Papadopoulos added, “I want to thank Michel
for his significant contributions to Biogen and for his passionate
commitment to our mission. He will be leaving Biogen with strong
foundations for growth. We appreciate that Michel will remain
employed by the company for a limited period of time to help ensure
a smooth transition.”
Mr. Vounatsos said, “It has been a privilege to lead this great
company and work with so many outstanding people for nearly six
years. With 30 clinical programs, 12 of which are in Phase 3 or
filed, Biogen is at an important inflection point in CNS drug
discovery and development. I am confident that Chris will be an
excellent new leader of Biogen. With several potential
breakthroughs in areas of high unmet needs on the horizon, I
believe the best is yet to come for Biogen and its patients.”
About BiogenAs pioneers in neuroscience, Biogen
discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies
for people living with serious neurological diseases as well as
related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world’s first global
biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles
Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Sir Kenneth Murray, and Nobel Prize
winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today, Biogen has a
leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has
introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular
atrophy, and developed the first and only approved treatment to
address a defining pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Biogen is also
commercializing biosimilars and focusing on advancing one of the
industry’s most diversified pipelines in neuroscience that will
transform the standard of care for patients in several areas of
high unmet need.
In 2020, Biogen launched a bold 20-year, $250 million initiative
to address the deeply interrelated issues of climate, health, and
equity. Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives™ aims to eliminate fossil
fuels across the company’s operations, build collaborations with
renowned institutions to advance the science to improve human
health outcomes, and support underserved communities.
We routinely post information that may be important to investors
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forward-looking statements, including statements relating to our
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We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Biogen Jack Cox +1 210 544 7920
public.affairs@biogen.com |
INVESTOR
CONTACT:BiogenMike Hencke+1 781 464
2442IR@biogen.com |
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