Sanofi Pasteur MSD appoints David Khougazian as its president

Sanofi Pasteur MSD, the joint venture company between Sanofi's (Euronext: SAN) vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur and the USA's Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), has appointed David Khougazian as president.

He will succeed Jean-Paul Kress who has led the company since 2011 and will leave to join the Sanofi group. Mr Khougazian has served as Sanofi chief executive's chief of staff since 2011.

Olivier Charmeil, president and chief executive of Sanofi Pasteur, said: “Sanofi Pasteur MSD is a major player in the European vaccine market. Under Jean-Paul’s tenure, the company launched Hexyon and Zostavax and prepared the arrival of two major new products which will fuel our joint-venture’s growth. David’s appointment marks a new phase in our development in Western Europe, a challenging and strategic region for our vaccines activity. His knowledge of European markets and external stakeholders will be strong assets to grow Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s positions in Europe.”