BRIEF—Ipsen appoints new R&D head

Ipsen has appointed a new R&D head, Howard Mayer, replacing Alexandre Lebeaut, who is retiring.

Dr Mayer was previously chief medical officer and head of R&D for the neuroscience division of rare disease specialist Shire Pharmaceuticals.

Ipsen chief executive David Meek said: “Ipsen’s pipeline has never been as rich as it is today, with six Phase III or registration trials scheduled for 2020."

"Dr Mayer will play a pivotal role in driving our R&D strategy to further grow our pipeline and build a truly differentiated and sustainable portfolio across our key areas of expertise," he added.