Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Conor Hale, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
J&J shakeup leaves Duato with largest portfolio
Johnson & Johnson
Joaquin Duarto will become a vice chairman of the executive committee July 2.
Duato is set to take on most of the responsibilities held by J&J's retiring worldwide chairman, Sandra Peterson. In addition to overseeing the pharma unit, but he will add responsibility for the company's consumer business, supply chain, IT, global services and its health and wellness businesses. FiercePharma
Sabry to lead global partnering for Roche
Roche
Genentech's James Sabry was named global head of partnering.
The new position was created by combining partnering operations for Roche’s pharma R&D group and Genentech Research and Early Development, following the departure of Sophie Kornowski-Bonnet, the pharma's former Head of Roche Partnering. Sabry will move to Basel, Switzerland, and is set to begin Aug. 1. FierceBiotech
Neos poaches AgeneBio chief as its CEO abruptly resigns
Neos Therapeutics
Jerry McLaughlin was appointed CEO, effective immediately.
Vipin Garg, Neos' president and CEO, resigned abruptly in what the ADHD treatment company described as a mutual decision between him and the board. McLaughlin served as president and CEO of AgeneBio since June 2014, and before that held roles at NuPathe, Endo and Merck. FierceBiotech
Portola hires former Genentech exec to oversee manufacturing after Andexxa delays
Portola Pharmaceuticals
The biotech named Genentech veteran Glenn Brame as senior vice president of technical operations.
Brame was VP of supplier and contract manufacturing excellence for Genentech, overseeing supply chain operations for biologics and small molecules. The appointment comes less than two months after Portola won approval of Andexxa, a bleeding antidote for blood thinners such as Xarelto and Eliquis. FiercePharma
> Retiring Johnson & Johnson Group Worldwide Chairman Sandra Peterson was 2017's highest-paid woman in biotech. The top 5 are listed at FiercePharma.
> Astellas announced the promotion of its head of European, Middle Eastern and African operations, Yukio Matsui, to chief commercial officer, whose responsibilities were previously divided between its CEO and chief strategy officer. Dirk Kosche, former president of Novartis' Japan subsidiary, will take over as head of EMEA operations starting July 1. Release (PDF)
> Roivant cut 70 staff and reassigned 130 others within its family of subsidiaries, with an insider describing the major restructuring as a "bloodbath." FierceBiotech
> Solid Biosciences' co-founder and president, Gilad Hayeem, has retired from his role and from the company's board. Ilan Ganot, co-founder and CEO, will take over as president. In addition, the company appointed Martin Freed to its board, who has held roles at Civitas, Adnexus, Vitae and GlaxoSmithKline. Release
> Lactose intolerance developer Ritter Pharmaceuticals appointed cofounder Andrew Ritter as CEO. He takes over for Michael Step, who will continue as a consultant. Release
> Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics named Susan Ward as head of clinical operations, and Joe Petroziello as VP of scientific and corporate communications. Ward previously served as Pfizer's director of early clinical development, while Petroziello joins from Juno Therapeutics, where he was senior director and head of communications. Release
> PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals brought on Michael York as VP of corporate development and commercial strategy. York previously led global BD activities as a VP at Orexigen Therapeutics, and was president and CEO of Senté Labs. Release
> Cedilla Therapeutics hired Dale Porter, an oncology researcher from the Broad Institute and Novartis, as vice president of biology; Iván Cornella-Taracido, former director of chemical biology at Merck Research Laboratories, as vice president of proteomics and chemical biology; and Eric Schwartz, former executive director of chemistry at Celgene, as vice president of drug discovery. Release
> Ryan Zeidan was appointed senior VP of development for Millendo Therapeutics. Zeidan previously served as executive director and global project leader at Celgene. Release
> GE announced plans to spin off its healthcare unit into a standalone company, creating one of the largest medtech firms in the world. FierceBiotech
> Nova Oculus founder and former NHL team owner Peter Pocklington hired a Bill Cosby defense lawyer to fend off SEC fraud charges. FierceBiotech