Sanofi Appoints Former Novartis Executive Marcia Kayath as New Chief Medical Officer
Sanofi
Pharmaceutical R&D Developer
According to an internal memo obtained by Fierce Biotech, she will report directly to Dr. Houman Ashrafian, the head of R&D.
Marcia Kayath, M.D.
Dr. Kayath previously served as the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs R&D at BioMarin, accumulating extensive experience in pharmaceutical R&D and medical affairs. Before joining BioMarin, she worked at Novartis for 17 years and has served as the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Medical Affairs since 2019. During this time, she also held several key positions, including Head of US Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Senior Global Program Leader, and Head of Oncology Medical Affairs for Latin America.
As early as 1998, Dr. Kayath began his clinical research career at Eli Lilly, then briefly worked at Pfizer, before joining Novartis to embark on his long-term career path. Holding a medical doctorate, a Ph.D. in Endocrinology and Bone Metabolism, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, along with postdoctoral experience from the University of California, San Francisco, he possesses both academic and management expertise.
This appointment is another significant move in Sanofi's senior management structure. Last year, the company announced the appointment of Mike Quigley as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Global Head of R&D. Following Kayath's joining, the company will leverage his strong leadership in medical affairs to further strengthen its R&D engine and enhance the clinical development and patient safety capabilities of its pipeline projects.
It is understood that Kayath's appointment is strategically significant. Dietmar Berger, the former Chief Medical Officer of Sanofi, left for Gilead to take on the role of Chief Medical Officer about eight months ago. This means that Kayath’s arrival during this critical interim period will help strengthen leadership and maintain stability and continued progress in medical affairs.
In recent years, Sanofi has focused on its immunology sector, accelerating its efforts based on blockbuster products like Dupixent (Dupilumab), while also making structural adjustments and strategic acquisitions in other therapeutic areas. For instance, in July this year, Sanofi acquired vaccine manufacturer Vicebio for $1.15 billion, followed by an announcement in May of its intention to acquire Vigil Neuroscience, which is developing a candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease, for $470 million.
In summary, the joining of Dr. Marcia Kayath not only brings extensive medical affairs and clinical development experience to Sanofi but also injects stronger support into the company’s upcoming R&D strategy and patient safety system. The continuous optimization and strengthening of Sanofi’s R&D leadership clearly demonstrate its solid steps in consolidating its leading position in the new era of pharmaceutical R&D.
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