XenoPort appoints chief medical officer

XenoPort has appointed Dr Richard Kim as chief medical officer and senior VP, clinical development and medical affairs.

Dr Kim has been with the US biopharma company since July 2013, when he joined as VP of medical affair, supporting the marketing of Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) in restless legs syndrome and postherpetic neuralgia.

He joined XenoPort from Biogen Idec where he was joint programme team leader for the hugely successful multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri (natalizumab) helping with drug's launches in markets that included the US.

Prior to joining Biogen Idec Dr Kim was with Merck Serono, serving as medical director for the phase III programme of cladribine, which failed to impress in MS.

XenoPort will look to Dr Kim's experience as it prepares to advance its drug candidate XP23829, which is being studied as a treatment for psoriasis and/or relapsing forms of MS, into phase II development.