Merck Announces New Head of Oncology Business Unit in China

Brecht Vanneste Appointed as Head of MSD China Oncology Division.

Following Tian Yu's resignation last week, MSD China recently announced that Brecht Vanneste, the current Managing Director of MSD Belgium and Luxembourg, will assume the role of Head of MSD China’s Oncology Division. This appointment will take effect on October 24, 2022.

Brecht Vanneste will be based in Shanghai and report directly to Anna Tian, President of MSD China.

Currently, the leadership changes in MSD's Belgium and Luxembourg markets have not been announced.

Brecht Vanneste holds an MBA in International Marketing from the University of Akron and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Luca School of Arts. He joined MSD Belgium in February 1999 as a Product Manager. Over his 23-year career at MSD, Brecht Vanneste has held various positions, including Head of External Affairs at MSD Belgium, Director of Alzheimer's Products for the European and Canadian markets, and Regional Marketing Lead for Cardiovascular Products in the Swiss market.

In March 2019, he was appointed Vice President and Managing Director of MSD Belgium and Luxembourg.

The Ambition of Oncology Drugs

The oncology sector, as a pillar of MSD's performance, is undoubtedly crucial and continues to grow.

According to MSD's 2022 half-year report, the company achieved a revenue of $30.494 billion in the first half of the year, representing a 38% year-on-year increase. Among this, the blockbuster oncology product K drug (Keytruda) contributed $10.061 billion in revenue, marking a 25% year-on-year increase and accounting for approximately one-third of MSD's total revenue.

However, some key patents for Keytruda will expire in 2028, and many pharmaceutical companies are already developing biosimilars for Keytruda. In response to the upcoming patent cliff for Keytruda, Merck & Co., Inc. is actively expanding into the ADC sector.

In May and July this year, MSD purchased two ADC projects from Kelun-Biotech, a holding subsidiary of Kelun Pharmaceutical, for $1.363 billion and $901 million, respectively. It was previously reported that MSD is expected to acquire Seagen for $40 billion. Seagen is currently one of the leading companies in the ADC drug development field, but there has been no confirmed news regarding this transaction yet.

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting on June 7, MSD highlighted more than 20 research candidate drugs targeting various aspects of cancer cell biology and immune pathways, and predicted that more than 80 oncology drugs would be approved by 2028.

References:

[1] MedTrend: "Olympus, Shanghai RAAS Announce New Leaders | Fan Xiaohu's Whereabouts Confirmed | 67% of Approved Rare Disease Drugs Included in China's National Reimbursement Drug List"

[2] MedTrend: "MSD: Over 80 Oncology Drugs Expected to Be Approved by 2028 | Hengrui Medicine Establishes Private Equity Investment Fund with 2 Billion Yuan | BD Medical Acquires Pharmacy Automation Solution Company【Latest News 0613】"

[3] E Pharm Exec: "MSD's Ambition to Recreate the 'Keytruda Legend' with ADC Revealed! Can Pfizer, Roche, and AZ Maintain Their First-Mover Advantage?"

[4] Xinkangjie: "MSD 2022 Semi-Annual Report: COVID-19 Drug Sales Exceed Expectations"

Editor: Dada Xiwa

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