Biogen R&D chief quits to join biotech start-up

11 July 2015

US biotech major Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced on Friday that head of R&D Douglas Williams will leave the company at the end of July to become chief executive of an as-yet unnamed start-up biotechnology company. Dr Williams will be the first member of a new organization with potential in cancer diagnostics and therapy.

Responsibility for Biogen research and development will be assumed by Alfred Sandrock, senior vice president and chief medical officer, and Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, senior vice president and chief scientific officer. Both Dr Sandrock and Dr Artavanis-Tsakonas currently serve on the executive management team.

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