Dr Gary J Nabel has been appointed Sanofi’s new Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Deputy to the President for Global R&D.

He joins from the US National Institutes of Health, where he served as Director of the Vaccine Research Centre of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for more than 13 years.

Dr Elias Zerhouni, President, Global R&D, Sanofi, said he was “very excited” that Dr Nabel had decided to join the company.

In his new role, Dr Nabel will be responsible for analysing and coordinating Sanofi’s scientific direction for biopharmaceuticals and vaccines with the aim to improve translational approaches throughout the business.

He will lead the evaluation of the company’s scientific quality of projects and programmes across its entire R&D and assist in creating Sanofi’s overall strategy.

“I am honoured and excited to join Dr Zerhouni and the Sanofi team”, said Dr. Gary Nabel. “By strengthening our scientific base, we hope to accelerate the rational development of innovative treatments that will save lives and improve human health.”

The new Chief Scientific Officer will begin his role on 3 December 2012.

The FDA has approved Cordis Corporation’s Empira and Empira NC RX PTCA dilatation catheters for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

Both balloon catheters are designed to allow cardiologists to open patients’ narrowed coronary arteries during angioplasty procedures.

Dr Campbell Rogers, Chief Scientific Officer and Global Head of R&D at Cordis, said that the company “worked closely with physician-customers and incorporated their feedback into the design of these next generation devices. We believe the unique design of the Empira Balloon Catheters will meet physicians' needs and has the potential to improve patient outcomes”.

The two medical devices bring several design and technology alterations to Cordis’ portfolio of Empira balloon catheters. They feature the company’s next generation Duralyn Flex balloon material, which is 50% more flexible than the material used in the current Fire Star and Dura Star RX PTCA dilatation catheters, to improve crossability and recrossability, the ability to pass through a lesion.

Cordis Corporation is a Johnson & Johnson company, and develops and manufactures interventional vascular technology. The company works with interventional cardiologists, radiologists and vascular surgeons to treat patients with vascular disease.

The products are expected to be launched for sale in early 2012.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has created several new positions as part of its “Transformation into a New Takeda”, restructuring the company’s business operations.

The new roles include Chief Medical and Scientific Officer (CMSO) and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

The CMSO is set to replace the existing post of Chief Scientific Officer, to be filled by board member Dr Tadataka Yamada, a medical doctor and scientist with strong experience in pharmaceutical R&D.

The CCO will be responsible for the company’s global sales structure, replacing existing positions in International Operations in the US, Europe and North Asia.

Takeda’s Chief Executive Dr Frank Morich will claim this position, who will lead sales strategies in the US, EU and key emerging markets.

The restructuring of the company is said to relect Takeda’s recent acquisition of Nycomed, which the firm described as “another significant step towards globalisation”.

Takeda fully acquired Nycomed in October in a cash deal worth €9.6 million.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences have signed a licensing agreement to develop and commercialise a potential fixed-dose combination single pill for the treatment of HIV.

The combination would include BMS’ protease inhibitor Reyataz (atazanavir sulfate) and Gilead’s pharmacoenhancing agent cobicistat.

Elliott Sigal, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and President, R&D, BMS, says the pill has the potential “simplify HIV therapy” and address unmet needs for innovative treatment options.

The combination is currently being studied in Phase II and Phase III studies in HIV-1 treatment-naive patients.

Reyataz is a prescription medicine used in combination with other medicines to treat people aged 6 years of age and older who are infected with HIV. Gilead’s cobicistat is a boosting agent that increases blood levels of certain strains of the virus.

Under the terms of the agreement, BMS will be responsible for the worldwide formulation, manufacturing, development, registration, distribution, and commercialisation. It will pay Gilead an undisclosed royalty based on the annual net sales of the product when released.

“This collaboration with Gilead builds on Bristol-Myers Squibb’s longstanding commitment to develop medicines that have the potential to provide meaningful benefit to HIV patients, specifically aiming to enhance treatment options,” said Mr Sigal.

Gilead will retain the sole rights for the manufacturing, development and commercialisation of cobicistat as a stand-alone product and for any future combinations with other agents.

Boehringer Ingelheim is to work with Pantheon to develop two projects worth over $18 million involving combination drugs to treat type II diabetes.

Mark Kontny, Chief Scientific Officer at Pantheon, said: “I am very gratified that Boehringer Ingelheim recognises our expertise in formulating, scaling and successfully launching complex formulations such as these molecules. It is this kind of support and recognition that has enabled us to develop our market leading position in pharmaceutical development services.”

The projects are set to span over a three year period.

Patheon is a global provider of pharmaceutical services, manufacturing at ten facilities and nine development centres across North America and Europe.

Orexo has appointed Peter Edman as its new Chief Scientific Officer, responsible for the company’s research and development division.

Peter currently works as CSO and Head of Research and Development at Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum).

Anders Lundström, President and CEO of Orexo, said: “Peter Edman has extensive experience in the areas of research and development and leadership. Both his skills in early drug discovery and drug development in late stages will be of great value to Orexo.”

Peter has previously held positions within R&D at Pharmacia and AstraZeneca.

He commented: “It will be very exciting and rewarding to develop Orexo's projects into innovative new drugs that can address significant medical needs.”