Eisai Company Beefs Up Neurology Team with Ex-Pfizer, Sanofi Execs
April 22, 2016
By Alex Keown, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. – Eisai Inc. has bolstered its U.S. neurology leadership team by snagging executives from Sanofi and Pfizer to create and drive commercial strategies for the company.
On April 11, Eisai announced that Pfizer’s Beyhan Zaim was tapped as the company’s vice president commercial development and Alzheimer's disease. As global lead for Alzheimer’s disease, Eisai said Zaim will develop strategies and head the “collaborative efforts of internal and external stakeholders to progress the development of existing as well as potential future AD assets.” At Pfizer, Zaim held several positions in global development and marketing and commercial development. Most recently, she served as a vice president of external opportunities and new business at Pfizer; vice president commercial development primary care business unit and medicine team leader.
Ivan Cheung, chairman and chief executive officer of Eisai Inc., said Zaim has a “deep expertise in the commercial development of in-line and pipeline compound” including Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological issues. Calling her a “tremendous asset” to Eisai, Cheung said he is confident Zaim “will help drive the global growth of Eisai's products, as well as work to ensure that Eisai remains a leader in the AD marketplace."
In addition to Zaim, Eisai tapped Paul Hawthorne as senior vice president of U.S. commercial and neurology business group. Hawthorne will be responsible for leading the U.S. neurology sales and marketing teams in bringing Eisai's neurology portfolio of products to patients, the company said in a statement. Hawthorne comes to Eisai from Sanofi, where he spent 24 years in various positions, including most recently as vice president of sales. He also served as head of Sanofi’s oncology business unit. Eisai said Hawthorne brings “significant expertise in transformational leadership, building and leading high performance teams, new product launches, P&L management, and lifecycle management.”
"We look forward to his contributions to our commercial organization to maximize our neurology brands, and help in ensuring that the appropriate patients have access to our products,” Cheung said in a statement.
In addition to bolstering its neurology business unit, Eisai also tapped Avinash Desai as vice president of America’s oncology medical affairs for the company’s oncology business group. Before coming to Eisai, Desai served as global affairs leader of oncology at Janssen. Desai will oversee development of Eisai’s oncology pipeline and its commercial and strategic development. Cheung said he anticipates Desai will be a factor in growing Eisai’s oncology business unit.