Merck Serono names R&D head

Merck Serono yesterday announced Luciano Rossetti as its new global head of R&D effective July 21, 2014.

Rossetti replaces Annalisa Jenkins who left Merck Serono, the biopharma division of Germany-based Merck KGaA, in March this year to move to the US. She spent just under three years in the role having moved to Merck from Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Rossetti joins Merck Serono from its US-based namesake Merck & Co, known as MSD outside the US. He was senior VP, late stage development at Merck & Co, holding responsibility for clinical development from phase II to phase V across all therapy areas.

In this role he was influential in shaping the development strategy of Merck & Co's promising anti-PD1 therapy pembrolizumab. Prior to joining Merck & Co in 2006, Rossetti had been an academic scientist for 18 years,

Belén Garijo, who was appointed CEO at Merck Serono last year, said she was “thrilled' to have Rossetti join the team.

She said: “His breadth of experience and solid track record in both research as well as development together with his distinct leadership profile will be instrumental in driving the development of our promising pipeline to ensure that we will meet our strategic milestones and deliver innovative solutions for unmet medical needs to patients around the world.”