Dive Brief:
- Merck named Sanat Chattopadhyay as president of Merck Manufacturing Division, replacing the veteran William Deese who had served in that role since 2005.
- Chattopadhyay has more than 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including seven years at Merck. The handover will take effect April 1.
- Previously, Chattopadhyay had worked with Merck Vaccines as well as on the launch of Keytruda, the company's promising anti-PD1 cancer therapy.
Dive Insight:
Chattopadhyay moves into his post with a wealth of experience, particularly in the areas of vaccines, manufacturing, and supply-chain management. In announcing the appointment, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier said "Under his leadership I am confident that MMD will continue to advance toward its goal of becoming a world-class supplier."
Merck recently exited from a vaccines partnership with Sanofi, aiming to focus on developing its independent vaccine pipeline including development of a commercial Ebola vaccine.
As he moves into his position, Chattopadhyay will be replacing William Deese, who spearheaded a strategic initiative which saved $2.5 billion in annual costs in 2015 (compared to 2012).