Roche has appointed Pamela Carroll as its new Global Head of Pathways Biology within in Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development unit.

She will also act as oncology discovery site head at the company’s research facility in Nutley, New Jersey.

Mike Burgess, Global Head Oncology, Discovery and Translational Area, and head, large molecule research at Roche, says Pam “has built a reputation for scientific excellence and leadership in the field”.

She first entered the pharmaceutical industry in 1999 with Bristol-Myers Squibb before joining Merck. Two years ago, she moved to the Belfer Institute of Applied Cancer Sciences at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School.

“Her broad knowledge and successful history in leading oncology drug discovery efforts make her is an ideal fit for this position,” Mr Burgess added.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs are expected to be lost at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries as part of the company’s cost-cutting measures.

Reports from Israel claim the majority of the layoffs will be made in the US and Europe and mainly focused in Teva’s recently acquired Cephalon’s generic business.

The reports say that Teva is hoping to raise $500 million in synergies from its takeover with job losses expected to raise the majority of its target.

Teva has already said it is planning to cut sales, marketing and administrative expenses by $300 million, R&D by between $120 million and $150 million, and production costs by $50 million to $80 million. R&D savings would be achieved by cutting duplicate operations, the company said.

Teva has a history of job losses following takeovers of generic companies. In 2008 it bought US generic specialist Barr and reduced its workforce by 10%, reports say.

A reduction of 1,000 jobs at Cephalon would represent a loss of 27% roles before the takeover. But one company where job losses will be made, the reports say, is at Mepha, the Swiss generics manufacturer Cephalon bought last year. The company had 620 jobs prior to the acquisition.

Nephron Pharmaceuticals plans to build a $313 million plant in Cayce, South Carolina, creating 707 new pharmaceutical jobs.

The generic respiratory treatment specialist will build its new facility on a 60-acre site to help expand its market and develop a pipeline of products.

Nephron currently employs more than 400 people at its manufacturing and distribution facility in Orlando, Florida.

The state will contribute $4.5 million to the facility’s preparation and construction costs, which is set to be up and running within the next couple of years.

Lundbeck has appointed Jens Peter Balling and Iman Barilero as vice presidents in its R&D organisation.

The new appointments follow Lundbeck’s recent consolidation of its R&D activities into one organisation, creating a new unit.

Peter Balling (pictured, right) has been appointed as Vice President of the new unit, which will focus on regulatory product support, patient safety and quality assurance of clinical research.

Barilero (pictured, below) will be responsible for increasing Lundbeck's strategic efforts to build and maintain constructive cooperation and dialogue with national and international regulatory authorities.

Anders Gersel Pedersen, Executive Vice President of R&D at Lundbeck, said: “The regulatory and safety areas are an increasingly important prerequisite for this. The creation of one new unit and the increased focus on the other gives us a strong position in these areas.”

Peter Balling joined Lundbeck in 2006 as divisional director of global pharmacovigilance, previously working at Novo Nordisk and Nycomed.

Barilero began work for Lundbeck in 2007, when she served divisional director of regulatory development, strategy and policy, with previous experience at Hoffmann-La Roche and Johnson & Johnson.

Search for careers at Lundbeck.

Nycomed, a Takeda company, has appointed Jostein Davidsen as its new Head of Emerging Markets.

Mr Davidsen will take on the post in addition to his current role as Area Head of Russia/CIS, reporting to Frank Morich, EVP, International Operations at Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, and CEO of Nycomed.

“Jostein's strong track record of leading Russia/CIS over the past 17 years makes him an ideal candidate for this position,” said Mr Morich.

“His extensive knowledge of the industry, combined with vision and tenacity, has propelled Russia/CIS to become one of Nycomed's top revenue contributors.”

Takeda’s acquisition of Nycomed in September 2011 was driven by Nycomed’s presence in Emerging Markets in Russia/CIS, Latin America, Middle East-Turkey-Africa and South Asia.

Takeda is a research-based global company with a main focus on pharmaceuticals. The combined company has an active commercial presence in the therapeutic areas of metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, oncology, cardiovascular health, CNS diseases, inflammatory and immune disorders, respiratory diseases and pain management.

Roche has appointed Dr Harsukh Parmar as Head of Translational and Experimental Medicine (TM) of its Inflammation Discovery and Translational Area (DTA).

Dr Parmar will be responsible for the strategy and implementation of early clinical progress in Inflammation as well as collaborating with Discovery and Clinical Development to ensure high quality of compounds used throughout drug production.

Dr Jacques Banchereau, Head of the Inflammation and Virology Discovery and Translational Areas, said that Harsukh is recognised as “an expert in respiratory, inflammation, immunology and oncology, and possesses the right combination of experience for this pivotal position”.

Dr Parmar joins Roche from AstraZeneca in the UK, where he worked as Early Development Director, Vice President and Global Head of Early Clinical Development in the Respiratory and Inflammation Therapeutic Area. He also previously served at Roche as Global Clinical Science Leader and Director in Oncology, Immunology, Virology and Transplantation.

“Having previously worked for Roche and recognising the rich heritage of innovation that has come from the pharma business in small molecules and biologics, I was excited to rejoin a company that has been a leader in many of its respective fields,” said Dr Parmar.

Are you lacking motivation and confidence at work? Do you feel anxious about the security of your job? As employment statistics continue to deteriorate, we could put these feelings down to the saddening status of the economy, but is that really a good enough excuse to work in a job you don’t enjoy?

Don’t get me wrong, we should always feel grateful for our job, especially in the current climate. But our jobs are what make us get up in the mornings. So, shouldn’t we make the most of our 40+ hours a week?

In any case, if you’re feeling down in the dumps at the moment and have realised that it’s not the economy, but actually, you’re not enjoying your job, it could be time for a change of scene.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How long have you be in your current job?
• Has your salary increased since your last job?
• Are your responsibilities at work increasing or decreasing?
• Are you involved in important decision making at work?
• Do you feel challenged by your role?
• Are you just hopping from one employer to the next staying in the same position?
• Have people hired after you been promoted faster?
• Do your colleagues seek out work advice from you?
• Do you dread going to work?

It’s pretty obviously which of these answers are good and which are bad signs of what you should do next.

It may be a case of considering other roles, as it’s true what they say: It’s much easier to find a job if you have a job. In which case, give an honest analysis of your career as it stands and assess your long-term objectives. Are you doing what you always wanted to? Is your current job a step in the right direction?

If not, or you can think of something better and more relevant to your personal career goals, no time like the present to sort yourself out. It’s only too easy to become too comfortable with your job and falling into a career slump.

But, it could also mean that you should think about discussing your feelings with your boss. Ask how you can contribute more to the company, and use your initiative to put forward some ideas to keep things fresh and involving. You’re more likely to enjoy your work if you’re doing different things and being recognised for your efforts.

A career rut is never easy and new opportunities can often feel out of sight. But if you’re feeling unmotivated and lacking stimulation in your job, it’s worth having a serious think about what you should really do.

Visit PharmaJobs for the latest vacancies in pharmaceutical sales.

Merck’s chairman of its board of directors, Richard T. Clark, has decided to take retirement in December.

The former president and CEO of Merck will be replaced by Kenneth C. Frazier as the board’s new chair.

Mr Frazier thanked the outgoing chairman for the “leadership and the innumerable contributions he has made to our company and our industry”.

He first joined Merck back in 1972 and went on to lead the company for five years between 2005 and 2010. Mr Clark has served as a director at the company since May 2005 and became chairman in 2007.

“I have been a part of Merck for more than 39 years – I always have and always will consider Merck to be an important part of my life and my extended family,” said Mr Clark. “It has been a great pleasure to work with the talented, dedicated people of Merck who are so committed to our mission of saving and improving lives around the world.

“I am confident that under Ken Frazier's leadership, the company is well positioned for continued success in the future.”

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s (PhRMA) Executive Vice President and General Counsel Diane Bieri will step down from her roles in December.

She will initially take maternity leave before pursuing other opportunities away from the PhRMA, including working as a consultant for the association.

John J. Castellani, PhRMA President and CEO, says that Mrs Bieri has been an “able and thoughtful leader” and that her advice and counsel will be missed.

Mrs Bieri first joined the PhRMA in June 2004 and served as the Deputy General Counsel between 2006 and 2007 before her most recent roles.

“My time at PhRMA has been both challenging and rewarding,” she said.

“I look forward to continuing to work with PhRMA and its members in a different capacity.”

Lundbeck has appointed a trio of new Vice Presidents in Supply Operations and Engineering.

Kristian Sibilitz, Christian Houborg and Lene Andersen have all been promoted after impressing as divisional directors.

Lars Bang, Senior Vice President, Supply Operations and Engineering at Lundbeck, says the new VPs have all been “excellent ambassadors” during their time with the company.

Mr Sibilitz, who served as the personal assistant to Lars Bang from 2007 to 2009, has been appointed Vice President, Logistics, Christian Houborg is the new Vice President, Service & Technical Operations & Lean, and Lene Anderson will take the role of Vice President, Quality Supply Operations.