Novocure recruits trio of ex-OSI Pharmaceuticals executives

Novocure has added three senior oncology executives to its global management team to support its new tumour treating fields (TTF) cancer therapy.

Peter Melnyk, Angela Davies and Laura Benson join from OSI Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Astellas in a 2010 deal.

Melnyk joins Novocure as chief commercial officer responsible for directing the company's global marketing and sales efforts, having previously served as senior vice president for sales and marketing at OSI.

Prior to that he was executive director of oncology at Pfizer and Pharmacia and a director of oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Angela Davies will serve as Novocure's executive vice president, head of clinical development and medical oncology and will lead the global medical development and clinical strategy for the company.

She was previously senior vice president and chief medical officer of oncology for OSI Pharmaceuticals, prior to which she was an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, Davis Cancer Center.

Finally, Laura Benson joins Novocure as vice president of medical affairs. She was formerly vice president of medical affairs at OSI Pharmaceuticals and prior to that served as associate medical director at Pfizer and Pharmacia.

"Novocure's global commercialisation team is responsible for launching the NovoTTF-100A System under its approved indications for use in the US and Europe, as well as for developing the clinical and commercial plans to lead us into the future," said Asaf Danziger. "I am happy to welcome Peter, Angela and Laura to Novocure and look forward to working with them to make TTF therapy available to cancer patients around the world."

Novocure runs its US operations from Portsouth, New Haven, and has a research centre in Haifa, Israel and headquarters in St Hellier, Jersey.