US-based biopharmaceutical firm Avanir Pharmaceuticals has appointed Rohan Palekar as its new president and chief executive officer.
He will be responsible for overseeing the development of the company’s pipeline of products for CNS disorders along with the commercialisation of its recently FDA-approved neurological product, Nuedexta.
Palekar joined Avanir as senior vice president and chief commercial officer in March 2012 and was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer three years later.
He has over 20 years of drug development and commercialisation experience, having previously worked as chief commercial officer for Medivation and in various senior management roles at Johnson & Johnson and Centocor.
Palekar replaces Keith Katkin who served as president and chief executive officer for Avanir from March 2007 and will continue on at the company as a member of its board of directors.
Katkin said: “After nearly a decade of serving as Avanir’s president and chief executive officer, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished and how much we have grown, transitioning from a development to a commercial organisation.
“I am very pleased to be transitioning to this new role and handing the reins to Roham, a passionate and innovative leader who … has made significant contributions since joining Avanir over three years ago.”