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BioMarin Recruits Amgen R&D’s Friberg, Roche Dealmaker Sabry To Leadership Team

Third And Fourth C-Suite Changes Since November

 
• By Mandy Jackson

The company, in its new profitable era, is bringing in new leadership, with Amgen VP of medical affairs for rare diseases Greg Friberg and recently retired Roche Partnering head James Sabry.

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BioMarin has recruited new leadership during a period of change • Source: Shutterstock

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced last November that longtime CEO Jean-Jacques Bienaimé would retire, with Genentech, Inc. CEO Alexander Hardy replacing him, and changes to its C-suite have continued since then. The company said on 21 August that Amgen, Inc. vice president of medical affairs, rare diseases Greg Friberg will become EVP and chief research and development officer, effective 30 September, and Hardy’s former colleague, retired Roche Pharma Partnering head James Sabry, has been named EVP and chief business officer, effective 7 October.

Key Takeaways

  • BioMarin recruited Amgen veteran Greg Friberg as its chief R&D officer and former Roche Partnering head James Sabry as its chief business officer.

  • Sabry joins fellow former Roche/Genentech colleagues Alexander Hardy, now BioMarin’s CEO, and Cristin Hubbard, BioMarin’s new chief commercial officer, as the rare disease specialist focuses on profitability and narrows its R&D focus

The rare disease specialist said its current chief R&D officer, Hank Fuchs, will retire after 15 years with BioMarin, during which time the company brough five new medicines to the market for lysosomal storage disorders, phenylketonuria, achondroplasia and hemophilia A, but Fuchs will serve as an advisor through 3 March 2025. BioMarin’s recent slate of approvals, including Voxzogo (vosoritide) for achondroplasia, led to the company finally achieving profitability in 2022, prompting Bienaimé to decide in 2023 that it was time to retire

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