The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has picked Ipsen’s Marc de Garidel to take over as chair of its governing board from Roch Doliveux, who retired as CEO of UCB at the end of 2014.
De Garidel has been chairman and CEO of Ipsen, which specialises in neurology, endocrinology and urology-oncology, since 2010 and he chaired the European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises Association from 2010-12.
Prior to joining Ipsen he served as general manager of Amgen’s French affiliate and before Amgen he held various, mainly financial roles, at Lilly.
Commenting on his appointment to the IMI de Garidel said: “I am honoured to represent the healthcare industry in the biggest public-private partnership in life sciences in Europe to date and I am convinced the IMI 2 has a real potential to tackle Europe’s growing health challenges and deliver innovation for patients by working together and building on previous successes.”
The IMI is a public-private partnership between the European Union and European pharma body EFPIA and its governing board is the IMI’s main decision-making body. Its second-phase IMI 2 programme aims to develop next generation vaccines, medicines and treatments, such as new antibiotics.
Irene Norstedt, IMI acting executive director, said: “IMI is delighted to welcome Marc de Garidel as chair of the governing board. I am confident that his decades of experience working in the pharmaceutical sector will prove invaluable to IMI.”