Strides Arcolab appoints Ravi Seth as CFO
Strides Arcolab Ltd has appointed Ravi Seth as Group CFO. His major focus is to set up a strong back office infrastructure required for a global organization and working on areas of fund raising and growth. His last assignment was with Abbott India as Director - Finance. A science graduate with a specialization in Mathematics and Statistics, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India. In the last two decades, he has worked in a number of industries including tobacco, hotels, financial services, real estate, media and pharmaceuticals.
Lalit Kumar Jain inductedin NIPER's board
Lalit Kumar Jain, a veteran in the pharma industry specially the small-scale segment, has been inducted into the board of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, recently. Jain, who has over 38-year of experience in the industry, has been a member of several apex councils like the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council, and worked as senior office-bearer of many industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (ssi) for long years.
Malvinder Mohan Singh,Ranbaxy's new CMD
Malvinder Mohan Singh, president pharmaceuticals and executive director, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL) has replaced Dr Brian W Tempest as the new CMD of the company. Dr Tempest is to continue with RLL as chief mentor and executive vice chairman of the Board. Dr Tempest has another year's contract with the company.Announcing the decision at a press conference, Ramesh L. Adige, vice president, corporate affairs, global corporate communications and executive director, RLL said that the new CMD assumes complete operational responsibility for the company and will focus on spearheading Ranbaxy's growth to its target of achieving US$ 5 billion of global sales by 2012.
Ranbaxy appointsAtul Sobti as COO
Global pharmaceutical major, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd (Ranbaxy) has announced the elevation of Atul Sobti to the position of chief operating officer (COO), Ranbaxy, from January 1, 2007. Atul Sobti is responsible for global business operations, manufacturing and generic development.
Dr B. Sripathy Rao takes charge as Karnataka drugs controller
Karnataka Drugs Control Department is now headed by Dr B. Sripathy Rao, who has taken charge as Drugs Controller (In charge). The change came in after the superannuation of the drugs controller MN Ramamurthy.
Shasun designatesN Govindarajan as CEO & MD
Shasun Chemicals and Drugs Ltd (SCDL), the Chennai-based pharma major focused on manufacture of finished dosage, APIs and intermediates, designated N. Govindarajan as the CEO & MD. The promoter directors who were the managing and joint managing directors would continue as whole time directors, according to the decision of the board of directors.
Margaret Chan to take over as WHO's director-general
Dr Margaret Chan of China is the next director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). After her appointment, she told the World Health Assembly she wanted to be judged by the impact WHO's work has on the people of Africa and on women across the globe.
Dr Saral Thangam to head Lotus Labs as MD
Bangalore-based Lotus Labs, one of the leading contract research organizations in the country, has appointed Dr Saral Thangam as its managing director, with effect from November 1, 2006. She replaced Sudhir Pai who took over as director, commercial at Lotus Labs and also take up assignments for other companies on a part time basis. Incidentally, Dr Saral Thangam is among the three women heads in the biotech sector in the country along with Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and MD, Biocon Limited and Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder & CEO, Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
LifeCell appoints Chandra Moulias CEO
LifeCell, the pioneer stem cell company in India, has appointed Chandra Mouli as chief executive officer. Chandra Mouli brings with him 20-year of work experience gained from manifold management positions. Mouli is responsible for the day-to-day management as well as the company's long-term growth plans. He would lead the company's functional areas including: administration, human resources; marketing; sales and process excellence.
Dr M Venkateswarulu takes charge as DCGI
Dr M Venkateswarulu, deputy drugs controller of India (west zone), has taken charge as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), (in-charge) on September 1 in New Delhi. He replaces Ashwini Kumar, who retired on August 2006. Dr M. Venkateswarulu joined the drugs control department as a drugs inspector in 1974 and was heading the Western Region of the CDSCO for the past 13 years.
Arun Jha new NPPAmember secretary
Arun Jha, a Bihar Cadre 1981 batch IAS officer, has taken charge as the new member secretary of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). Jha assumed charge in office on August 25, 2006. Prior to his current assignment, he was commissioner of finance, Patna, Bihar. He is preceding Pradip Mehra, member secretary since last
three years.
Amitabh Chandra, Maharashtra FDA Commisioner
Amitabh Chandra, IAS, secretary of the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission, has been appointed as the Food and Drugs Administration commissioner, Maharashtra. He replaces Ramesh Kumar, who has been posted by the Maharashtra government as managing director of Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (MSSIDC).
Ashwini Kumar,DCGI in-charge retires
Ashwini Kumar, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in-charge for last seven years, retired from services on August 31, 2006. He would be remembered as the drugs controller who has triggered the most revolutionary changes in the history of the country's apex drugs regulatory agency. Kumar has been instrumental in kick starting the comprehensive modernization programme in the office of the DCGI. Months from now, with the inauguration of the newly constructed National Food and Drugs Bhawan, his long cherished dream to have a world class drug regulatory infrastructure in place would be fulfilled. He vacates office at a time when Indian drug regulatory system has started getting international recognition.
Jeffrey Kindler namednew CEO of Pfizer
The Pfizer board of directors has named Jeffrey B Kindler the company's CEO. He succeeds Hank McKinnell, who will remain Pfizer's chairman of the board until his retirement in February 2007. Kindler has been elected to the Pfizer board of directors.Kindler currently serves as Pfizer's vice chairman and general counsel, and since joining the company in 2002, has played an increasingly important role. He is responsible for many of the company's major corporate functions, including worldwide legal affairs, corporate and regulatory compliance, government relations, corporate communications, public policy development, corporate citizenship, global security and philanthropy. He has been a member of the senior-most governing body of the company since 2002.
Sameer Nagarajan joins AstraZeneca as VP, HR
AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd has announced the appointment of Sameer Nagarajan as vice president, human resources. Prior to this, he worked as head of human resources with India Gypsum Limited in Mumbai - a subsidiary of BPB plc. Sameer Nagarajan holds a postgraduate diploma in personnel management and industrial relations from XLRI, and is a commerce graduate from the Madras Christian College, Chennai.
Ajit Singh appointed aspresident of CRS - Indian Chapter
The Indian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (CRS), a worldwide organisation to educate scientists, technologists and marketing personnel in the pharma industry interested in newer delivery systems, has elected Ajit Singh, chairman of ACG worldwide, as the chairman of the Indian Chapter for the 2006-08 period. Earlier, Ajit Singh had also served on the International Board of CRS.