BRIEF—Ionis Pharma names new chief business officer

US drugmaker Ionis Pharmaceuticals today announced that Damien McDevitt has joined the company as chief business officer.

In his role, Dr McDevitt will serve as a member of Ionis' executive leadership team and will provide strategic guidance and lead Ionis' corporate development activities, including corporate communications, business development, patient advocacy, competitive intelligence and alliance management.

Dr McDevitt joins Ionis from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, where he served as senior vice president, corporate development. Prior to joining ACADIA, Dr McDevitt was at GlaxoSmithKline for more than two decades, where he was instrumental in over 70 global business development transactions involving multiple therapeutic areas, including severe and rare and neuromuscular diseases, among others.