Celltech主管在诺华公司将接管的谣言中离去
LONDON (Reuters Health) - A senior Celltech director announced her departure on Friday amid market rumours that Switzerland's Novartis is preparing to bid for Britain's biggest biotech.
Dr Ursula Ney has been director of development at Celltech since 1993 and executive director and a member of the board since 2000. She is taking up a new job in January as chief executive officer at the Oxford-based private drug-development company Charterhouse Therapeutics.
Asked about the market rumours, Ney told Reuters Health: "That is a new one. I have not heard that one." She said her only reason for jumping ship was that she enjoys new challenges.
Industry analysts remain sceptical about the rumours, saying it would not make much sense for Novartis to buy Celltech when Pharmacia has already bought the rights to the biotech firm's most important drug, CDP 870, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.
"The deal means that Pharmacia take the lead in developing and marketing for rheumatoid arthritis and Celltech takes the lead for Crohn's disease," Ney said.
She added that these days it is not uncommon for two major companies to co-promote potential blockbusters. The potential market for CDP870 is "huge," she said.
Celltech, one of Europe's few profitable biotech firms, earlier this year held unsuccessful merger talks with US rival Biogen in a bid to expand operations, industry sources told Reuters last month.
Charterhouse was founded by Erik Anggard, one of the leading figures behind Vernalis Plc. Charterhouse is researching drugs based on simple molecules called cyclopentenones which activate the natural defences of human cells to protect against such damaging conditions as infection, inflammation and cancer., 百拇医药
Dr Ursula Ney has been director of development at Celltech since 1993 and executive director and a member of the board since 2000. She is taking up a new job in January as chief executive officer at the Oxford-based private drug-development company Charterhouse Therapeutics.
Asked about the market rumours, Ney told Reuters Health: "That is a new one. I have not heard that one." She said her only reason for jumping ship was that she enjoys new challenges.
Industry analysts remain sceptical about the rumours, saying it would not make much sense for Novartis to buy Celltech when Pharmacia has already bought the rights to the biotech firm's most important drug, CDP 870, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.
"The deal means that Pharmacia take the lead in developing and marketing for rheumatoid arthritis and Celltech takes the lead for Crohn's disease," Ney said.
She added that these days it is not uncommon for two major companies to co-promote potential blockbusters. The potential market for CDP870 is "huge," she said.
Celltech, one of Europe's few profitable biotech firms, earlier this year held unsuccessful merger talks with US rival Biogen in a bid to expand operations, industry sources told Reuters last month.
Charterhouse was founded by Erik Anggard, one of the leading figures behind Vernalis Plc. Charterhouse is researching drugs based on simple molecules called cyclopentenones which activate the natural defences of human cells to protect against such damaging conditions as infection, inflammation and cancer., 百拇医药