ALLSCHWIL, Switzerland, Nov. 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Actelion Ltd (SWX:ATLG) announced today that Otto Schwarz will join the company as its new Head of Business Operations on 14 January 2008. He will succeed Christian Chavy who is leaving his position at that time to pursue other opportunities.
Jean-Paul Clozel, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Actelion, commented: "Actelion is deeply grateful to Christian for his contribution in building the company's global sales and marketing organization. Today, under Christians leadership, there are more than 800 professionals worldwide that expand the PAH market, with Tracleer as the undisputed cornerstone therapy. Thanks to the efforts of Christian and his team, Actelion has been very successful in managing the recent entry of a new competitor into the PAH field."
Jean-Paul Clozel continued: "With Otto Schwarz, I am very proud that Actelion has been able to attract such an experienced pharmaceutical business executive. We are all very eager to work with Otto, given his broad experience at Schering-Plough and Altana/Nycomed. His success in managing both large GP products as well as organizational change is providing us with the unique asset required to maximize the value creation from our potentially transformational sleep agent almorexant."
Otto Schwarz commented: "I am very excited to be joining Actelion, where I have found a first-rate global sales and marketing team that is not only successful in the PAH field today but has all the necessary assets and talents to develop existing and new products. While I am especially enthusiastic about preparing the market introduction of almorexant, I share Actelion's enthusiasm for its 10 other projects in clinical development. Never before in my professional career have I come across an organization so committed to both first-rate innovation and outstanding marketing."
About Otto Schwarz
Otto Schwarz, an Austrian National with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry from Vienna University, has served more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various business roles of growing responsibility, both in North America and Europe. In his previous role as Executive Vice President - Commercial Operations at Nycomed (previously Altana), he oversaw commercial operations in more than 40 countries, involving a staff of almost 5,000 promoting a wide variety of different drugs, including a GP blockbuster. Previously, Otto served almost twenty years at Schering-Plough, providing him with the opportunity to either lead or participate in major drug launches, major collaborative efforts with third parties and large programs focusing on the necessary corporate culture programs designed to maximize the value from transformational drugs and collaborations.
Actelion Ltd
Actelion Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company with its corporate headquarters in Allschwil/Basel, Switzerland. Actelion's first drug, Tracleer(r), an orally available dual endothelin receptor antagonist, has been approved as a therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Actelion markets Tracleer(r) through its own subsidiaries in key markets worldwide, including the United States (based in South San Francisco), the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. At the end of September 2006, Tracleer(r) was commercially available in 35 countries worldwide. Actelion, founded in late 1997, is a leading player in innovative science related to the endothelium -- the single layer of cells separating every blood vessel from the blood stream. Actelion's over 1,500 employees focus on the discovery, development and marketing of innovative drugs for significant unmet medical needs. Actelion shares are traded on the SWX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: ATLG).