USA – Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., has chosen to withdraw from his role as Executive Vice President, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to seek other opportunities outside of the Company

The New Jersey-based pharmaceutical Company welcomed Dr. Mammen, who joined the company in 2017 as the Global Head of Janssen, Research and development (R&D).

The company further appreciates him for helping develop the company’s market-leading portfolio.

Mammen’s decision is a sudden change for J&J, which had only named him and many other business executives to its executive committee eight months earlier as part of a CEO transition that saw Joaquin Duato promoted to take over for outgoing CEO Alex Gorsky.

Mammen’s new position as executive vice president of pharmaceutical research and development resulted from the appointment.

While the organization looks for a permanent replacement, Mammen will be temporarily replaced by William Hait, who presently serves as J&J’s external innovation leader.

As Executive Vice President, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, Johnson & Johnson, he oversaw the company’s aim to create and distribute game-changing medications that have a beneficial effect on people everywhere.

Mammen, 54, left Merck & Co.’s position as head of its cardiovascular and metabolic illness research and development in 2017 to join J&J.

Prior to that, he had almost two decades of experience leading R&D at Theravance, a biotechnology business he cofounded with Roy Vagelos, a former CEO of Merck.

As Executive Vice President, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, Johnson & Johnson, he oversaw the company’s aim to create and distribute game-changing medications that have a beneficial effect on people everywhere.

Mammen managed a transition towards Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy during his five years at J&J, which led to the approval of the drug Carvykti for Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells.

He managed to increase R&D spending at the business by 21% in 2021, almost earning J&J the title of top research spender in the sector.

He exits the corporation as J&J seeks to divide into two parts, dividing its global healthcare division from its medical device and pharmaceutical operations.

Paul Stoffels, the company’s powerful and long-serving chief scientific officer, retired from J&J last October along with the change in the CEO. Currently, Stoffels is the CEO of Belgian biotech business Galapagos.

The company states that it will keep placing a high priority on innovation and the development of new capabilities to better the lives of the patients and customers they serve throughout the world.

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