John Cooper takes over as CEO of Discovery Labs

Specialty biotech company Discovery Labs has appointed John Cooper as its new CEO following the resignation of former chair and CEO W Thomas Amick.

Cooper will also continue to serve in his positions as president and chief financial officer while board member John Leone will take over as chair.

Amick's resignation comes after nine years serving at the Pennsylvania-based firm as a board member, six years as chair and just over two years as CEO.

During his time in charge, Discovery Labs released its first product Surfaxin (lucinactant) onto the market for use in the prevention of a respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Cooper will now have responsibility for ensuring the drug's commercial success, as well as steering the development of Aerosruf – an inhaled version of Surfaxin to be used with Discovery's Afectair device to deliver aerosolised medicines.

Prior to joining Discovery in 2001, he served as senior VP and chief financial officer of Chrysalis International Corporation, senior VP and chief financial officer of DNX Corporation and chief financial officer of Taratec Development Corporation.

The new chair Leone joined the Discovery board in November 2012, having previously spent time as president and CEO at Cambrex Corporation and senior VP and chief operating officer of US commercials operations at Aventis.

Joseph Mahady, who spent 30 years at Wyeth – including a period as president – has also been appointed to the Discovery board.