BRIEF—Strongbridge chief executive steps down

The chief executive of Strongbridge Biopharma, Matthew Pauls, has resigned with immediate effect.

John Johnson, who has served as chairman of Strongbridge since 2015, has assumed the position of executive chairman, effective immediately, and will lead the organization while the Board conducts a formal search to identify a new CEO.

The firm said in a statement that the Mr Pauls and the board had “mutually agreed that now is the right time to transition leadership of the company.”

Mr Johnson has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Portola Pharmaceuticals.