Pharmacia man tipped to head Celltech

pharmafile | October 22, 2003 | News story | |   

Pharmacia's Head of Research and Development, Goran Ando, is tipped to become Celltech's new Chief Executive when its current incumbent steps down.

Mr Ando is thought to lead a shortlist of top pharmaceutical industry executives lined up to succeed Peter Fellner, who announced his departure from the UK biotech company in June.

Mr Ando is likely to lose his position when Pfizer acquires Pharmacia in the New Year, and is already familiar with the biotech company's pipeline through an existing Pharmacia-Celltech partnership to market products such as arthritis drug CDP 870.

Other potential candidates include Peter Ringrose, Bristol-Myers Squibb's recently retired chief scientific officer, and Shire's Chief Executive Rolf Stahel, due to quit shortly after a dispute over strategy.

Celltech's CFO Peter Allen is also thought to be in the running, but his appointment would be interpreted by some investors as a signal that the company is looking for a merger partner.

Merger talks between Celltech and its US rival Biogen fell through last year but the need for consolidation is as strong than ever, with the company's share price now 60% lower than at the start of the year.

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