Merck KGaA appoints biosimilar head

Simon Sturge is to leave his role at Boehringer Ingelheim to join fellow German healthcare company Merck KGaA as head of its new biosimilars unit.

From March 1, Sturge will run the company's biosimilars division, which was set up in 2012 to develop copies of biological treatments with a focus on oncology and inflammatory disorders. 

Based in Canton de Vaud, Switzerland, the unit will include both in-house and partnership-based development to create biosimilars, which are seen as a major growth area over the next few years as patents for biological medicines expire.

Sturge is currently head of biopharmaceuticals at Boehringer, where his responsibilities include biosimilars.

His prior experience in pharma includes several CEO positions, such as Vernalis, Lonza Biologics and Celltech Biologics.

With his appointment, Sturge succeeds Thierry Hulot, who created Merck KGaA's biosimilars unit but later took over responsibility for global manufacturing and supply for its pharma unit Merck Serono.