Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy (LON:FARN), one of a small handful of London-listed drug developers with a product in Phase III clinical trials, said it has appointed a chief commercial officer.
Dr Juhana Heinonen will join the business in January from AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) where he was global marketing director for Fasenra, the company’s asthma treatment.
READ: Faron Pharmaceuticals' £10mln fundraiser will accelerate progress
At Roche, where he worked for seven years to 2015, he oversaw the launch and growth of RoACTEMRA, which eventually became a blockbuster drug for rheumatoid arthritis.
Phase III trial
At Faron, Heinonen will be responsible for the launch and roll out of Traumakine, which is being developed as a life-saving intervention for people with acute respiratory distress. Currently Traumakine is in the late stage of Phase III trials.
Chief executive, Dr Markku Jalkanen, said of the company’s new hire: “He has a wealth of expertise in the commercialisation and marketing of blockbuster drugs, and will be a key addition to the Faron team as we continue our preparations to enter commercialisation.
READ: Faron Pharmaceuticals' lead drug gets significant vote of confidence from UK regulator
“We look forward to benefitting from his experience and valuable insights as our wholly-owned lead product, Traumakine, approaches the completion of its pivotal phase III INTEREST trial."