Norwegian cancer therapeutics developer appoints president

Algeta, a company focused on the development of novel targeted cancer therapeutics, has appointed Jeffrey Albers as president of Algeta US, the Norwegian company’s new commercial operation in North America.

Albers will work closely with the company’s senior management to start the phased building of a US sales force and a marketing and medical affairs team ahead of the launch of alpharadin (radium-223 chloride) for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients with bone metastases, pending approval. The US FDA has granted alpharadin Fast Track Designation, and commercial and regulatory activities are being undertaken in anticipation of the first regulatory filings, which are expected in mid 2012.

In September 2009, Algeta entered into a licensing and development agreement with Bayer Pharma, under which Algeta has a right to co-promote alpharadin in the US for the prevention or treatment of disease.

Albers joins Algeta from Genzyme (now owned by Sanofi), where he spent the past seven years in senior commercial and corporate development positions, most recently as vice president, US Haematology & Oncology Business.

Prior to Genzyme, he spent five years (2000-2005) as an attorney at the law firm Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo, where he focused on the life sciences. He has prior experience as a sales representative for Pfizer.