Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a Mumbai, India-headquartered pharmaceutical company, has appointed Alessandro Riva, MD, as Chief Executive Officer of its new innovation company. Dr. Riva is currently Executive Vice President, Oncology Therapeutics and Cell Therapy for Gilead Sciences. The appointment is effective April 2, 2019.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced last month (February 2019), the in-principle approval from its Board of Directors to spin off its innovation business into a new company headquartered in the US. The new company will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Glenmark and will operate with Alessandro Riva as the CEO, a management team, and an independent Board of Directors.

Dr. Riva is currently with Gilead Sciences, where he is the Executive Vice President, Head of Oncology Therapeutics and Head of Cell Therapy. As part of the Gilead senior leadership team and executive committee member, he is responsible for leading the oncology R&D program and support functions, defining the strategic direction for the oncology therapeutic unit. In addition, he plays a critical role in key corporate initiatives, including strategic acquisition, partnering, and business development.

Prior to joining Gilead, Dr. Riva spent 12 years with Novartis, where he was the Executive Vice President and Head of Global Oncology Development and Medical Affairs in the Oncology Business Unit, managing a global group of more than 2,500 employees. He also served as Interim President of the Novartis Oncology Business Unit during the acquisition of GSK Oncology. Prior to his time at Novartis, he held leadership roles with Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and Aventis.

Source: Glenmark