Moderna Therapeutics appoints chief business officer

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna Therapeutics has appointed Saqib Islam as its new chief business officer from 9 May.

Islam will take on responsibility for Moderna's global strategic planning, corporate and business development functions as the biotech firm looks to advance its pipeline.

Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer at Moderna, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Saqib to our team; his expertise, intellect and drive for excellence are a perfect fit for Moderna.”

Islam joins from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, where he served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer from 2013. In this role, he held primary responsibility for executing the firm's corporate growth strategies and oversaw the management of its global operations.

He brings over 20 years of international business management expertise to Moderna, having held increasingly senior roles at The Boston Consulting Group, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Securities.

Islam said: “Already a clinical stage company, Moderna has extraordinary opportunities ahead of it, with its breakthrough science, accelerated discovery engine and unique business model.

“I look forward to working closely with Stéphane and the leadership team as we evaluate these opportunities and evolve Morderna's internal development and external partnering strategies to support the creation and commercialisation of a new generation of transformative medicines for patients.”