Schering-Plough Corporation Announces Organizational Changes at Schering-Plough Research Institute

KENILWORTH, N.J., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP - News) today announced leadership and organizational changes at Schering-Plough Research Institute (SPRI), the research and development arm of Schering-Plough.

Jacqueline Elbonne, Ph.D., has been named vice president, Global Research Quality, SPRI, effective immediately. In this position, Elbonne will build and lead a worldwide research quality team overseeing all SPRI activities governed by current Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Laboratory Practices, Good Clinical Practices and Good Pharmacovigilance Practices. In addition, she will direct and govern the design, implementation and performance management of global research Quality Management Systems to meet regulatory requirements and expectations worldwide. Elbonne will report directly to Thomas P. Koestler, Ph.D., executive vice president and president of SPRI, with shared accountability for SPRI quality systems to Richard S. Bowles III, senior vice president, Global Quality Operations.

Elbonne joined Schering-Plough in 2000 and has since held various positions of increasing responsibility in SPRI, Analytical Development and Global Quality. She recently served as vice president, Pharmaceutical Sciences Quality, providing quality leadership overseeing global clinical manufacturing operations, which included meeting all commitments under the U.S. consent decree. She earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and pharmacology from the University of Liverpool, England.

The following new positions were created in response to the company’s expanded product portfolio following the acquisition of Organon BioSciences. Effective immediately, Martin H. Huber, Jr., M.D., and Hans Rekers, M.D., will report to Robert J. Spiegel, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president. Huber is appointed vice president, Global Pharmacovigilance, and deputy chief medical officer. In this role, he will continue his current responsibilities and additionally will serve on Schering-Plough’s Safety Review Board. He will also interact on product-related issues with health authorities and professional societies, manage medical aspects of litigation issues and work with medical directors from country operations on risk management and product-specific issues.

Huber has served as vice president, Global Pharmacovigilance, since joining Schering-Plough in July of 2006. He has played a key role in the development of a globally-aligned organization for Global Pharmacovigilance as part of Schering-Plough’s Global Clinical Harmonization program and on the design and rollout of a rigorous computerized system for the collection, tracking and reporting of drug safety information. Huber received an M.D. degree from Baylor College of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Lutheran College.

Hans Rekers, M.D., is appointed deputy chief medical officer for Europe. In this role, Rekers will continue his current responsibilities and additionally will serve on Schering-Plough’s Safety Review Board and on the company’s PReP (preparedness response) team. He will also interact on product- related issues with worldwide health authorities and professional societies, manage medical aspects of litigation issues and work with medical directors from country operations on risk management and product-specific issues.

Rekers has been with Organon International for the past 20 years serving in a range of positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as vice president, Medical Affairs. In this role, he has global oversight for the gynecological product portfolio. Rekers holds an M.D. from the University of Amsterdam.

Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription and consumer products as well as to animal health products. In November 2007, Schering-Plough acquired Organon BioSciences, with its Organon human health and Intervet animal health businesses, marking a pivotal step in the company’s ongoing transformation. Schering-Plough’s vision is to “Earn Trust, Every Day” with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its approximately 50,000 people around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is http://www.schering-plough.com.

Source: Schering-Plough Corporation

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