CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced the addition of two members to the executive management team of Bioverativ Inc., Biogen’s planned spin-off company focused on the discovery, research, development and commercialization of treatments for hemophilia and other blood disorders. Rogerio Vivaldi, M.D., will serve as executive vice president and chief global therapeutic operations officer of Bioverativ, and John T. Greene will serve as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Bioverativ. The spin-off of Bioverativ is on track to be completed in early 2017.
“Biogen is committed to positioning Bioverativ for success as it prepares to carry forward our dedication to the hemophilia community,” remarked George A. Scangos, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Biogen. “Rogerio and John will be instrumental players in that success, alongside the rest of the executive team.”
“Rogerio’s expertise in the industry and extensive knowledge of the rare disease space will be critical as we work to deliver transformative medicines to patients,” said John Cox, chief executive officer of Bioverativ. “And, given John’s strong track record of fiscal and operational management across all of the major disciplines within finance, I am confident in his ability to lead our global finance organization and be an excellent representative for our shareholders.”
Dr. Vivaldi has more than 20 years of experience in delivering orphan products to patients worldwide, most notably during his tenure at Genzyme Corp., where he applied his medical and professional expertise to lead the company's rare disease business and earned a reputation as a passionate advocate for patients. Most recently, he served as chief commercial officer at Spark Therapeutics, a gene therapy company, and was co-founder, president and CEO of Minerva Neurosciences.
He received his medical degree from Universidade do Rio de Janeiro Medical School, and completed his residency in endocrinology at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital Center in New York in the department of genetics. He received his MBA degree from COPPEAD, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Dr. Vivaldi will be responsible for building and leading all aspects of Bioverativ’s commercial organization, including oversight of sales and marketing for the franchise’s lead products, ELOCTATE® and ALPROLIX®, extended half-life therapies for the treatment of hemophilia A and hemophilia B, respectively. He will report to Bioverativ CEO John Cox.
“Bioverativ is a unique opportunity to join a new company with a strong commercial business, growing pipeline and an experienced team dedicated to delivering results for patients, providers and caregivers,” said Dr. Vivaldi. “I am passionate about improving lives through innovative therapies and ardent patient advocacy, and believe Bioverativ shares this vision.”
Mr. Greene joins Bioverativ from Willis Group, plc, where he served as chief financial officer, enhancing business analytics and company performance while helping to execute on an ambitious merger and acquisition program. Previously, he was chief financial officer for HSBC Holdings, earning positions of increasing responsibility over eight years with the company, including Chief Financial Officer for the Global Retail Bank and Wealth Management business. Earlier in his career, Mr. Greene spent 12 years in various roles at General Electric. He earned his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“I am excited about the opportunity to apply my experience to a field that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those it serves,” said Mr. Greene. “I look forward to working with the Bioverativ leadership team to create a leading organization that I believe is well-positioned for growth based on world-class science and a focus on addressing serious unmet needs in the blood disorders community.”
Mr. Greene will be responsible for all financial and fiscal management of Bioverativ’s operations, with oversight for the company’s finance, information technology and technical operations functions. He will also work closely with business development, and research and development to grow the business. He will also report to Mr. Cox.
About Biogen
Through cutting-edge science and medicine,
Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies
for people living with serious neurological, autoimmune and rare
diseases. Founded in 1978, Biogen is one of the world’s oldest
independent biotechnology companies and patients worldwide benefit from
its leading multiple sclerosis and innovative hemophilia therapies. For
more information, please visit www.biogen.com.
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Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking
statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to the
proposed spin-off of Biogen’s hemophilia business, such as the
completion and timing of the proposed spin-off, the expected
appointments to Bioverativ’s management team, and business prospects of
Bioverativ. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such
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These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation, risks that the proposed spin-off will be completed in a timely manner or at all; risks of failure to satisfy any conditions to the proposed spin-off; risks of failure of the proposed spin-off to qualify as a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes; uncertainty of whether the anticipated benefits of the spin-off can be achieved; risks of unexpected costs or delays; and risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of products and product candidates that may impact or alter anticipated business plans, strategies, objectives, and capital structure. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
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