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R&D Head Ehlers Bows Out As Confidence In Biogen's Pipeline Suffers From Setbacks

 
• By Mandy Jackson

EVP Michael Ehlers swaps public company scrutiny for early-stage, venture-funded opportunities at Apple Tree Partners and Limelight Bio, while CMO and longtime Biogen executive Alfred Sandrock reclaims R&D oversight role.

Executive-exit
Biogen's Ehlers submitted his resignation to work at VC firm Apple Tree. • Source: Shutterstock

The news that Biogen is losing research and development head Michael Ehlers at a time when the company's R&D pipeline is struggling to produce wins did not sit well on 1 October when it was announced that long-time Biogen veteran Alfred Sandrock will serve double duty as chief medical officer and executive vice president for R&D going forward.

Biogen's stock closed down 2.4% at $227.20 per share after EVP Ehlers' move from Biogen to Apple Tree Partners was revealed. Ehlers will serve as chief scientific officer and venture partner at the venture capital firm, and he will be the CEO of gene therapy start-up Limelight Bio, an Apple Tree portfolio company

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