Former Sanofi exec Joseph Devaney joins Astellas

Astellas has appointed Joseph Devaney as vice president of government affairs and policy for its Americas business.

In this role, Devaney will be responsible for developing, communicating and implementing Astellas' federal and state government strategies in the US, as well as overseeing its engagement activities and policy development.

He joins the Japanese pharmaceutical firm from Sanofi, where he spent the last 20 years in a series of senior positions, including his most recent post as vice president of federal and state relations.

Prior to this, Devaney was director of state government affairs for Sandoz, which joined Novartis in 1996, and served as a research director and chief of staff for the New Jersey General Assembly.

Jeffrey Winton, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Astellas, said: “Joe's experience and leadership will elevate our highly collaborative team of senior government strategy, policy, legislative and regulatory professionals in Washington, DC.

“His role in developing Astellas' strategy on public policy issues being considered by government lawmakers and trade associations will be pivotal in Astellas' growth throughout the Americas.”