UCB appoints GSK's Mark Bodmer as head of immunology

UCB has appointed Mark Bodmer as head of immunology in its New Medicines research and early development division.

The company has also promoted Michele Antonelli to managing director of UCB France. He previously worked as head of the company's technical operations and quality team, a position that will now be filled by UCB's chief operating officer Mark McDade.

Mark Bodmer and Michele Antonelli

Bodmer joins the Belgium-based pharma company from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he most recently served as senior VP of Immuno-Inflammation, Medicines, Discovery and Development.

In his new role Bodmer will be based at UCB's Slough, UK research site. He will sit on the New Medicines leadership team and report to the division's president Ismail Kola.

In a statement, UCB said: “To date Mark's career has spanned research leadership, corporate leadership and business development and we are looking forward to the wealth of experience he will bring to UCB.”

Bodmer is the third new member of the New Medicines leadership team to have recently joined UCB, following the appointments of Duncan McHale as head of global exploratory development and Peter Theil as head of non-clinical development.

UCB's New Medicines is based around two European research hubs - Braine-l'Alleud in Belgium for central nervous system (CNS) diseases and Slough for immunological disorders – whose work covers discovery research through to clinical proof of concept.

Earlier this year UCB New Medicines signed a $6m collaboration with Harvard University in the US. The first project to be funded was a study looking at developing antibodies with potential in diabetes and metabolic disorders.