Chinese contract research organisation ShangPharma has announced that Art Taveras is to join the company as President and Chief Scientific Officer.
Taveras brings extensive pharmaceutical leadership and technical expertise in all aspects of drug discovery, chemistry R&D and pharmaceutical development to the firm, having been a pharmaceutical and biotech executive during his 24-year career.
Prior to joining ShangPharma, Taveras was Vice President Small Molecules Drug Discovery, Vice President Chemistry R&D, and Vice President CMC Development at Biogen Idec, leading the discovery and CMC development of neurology, immunology and oncology drug candidates at its multiple sites and partnerships in the US and abroad.
Before Biogen Idec, he was Vice President of Drug Discovery and CMC Development at Alantos Pharmaceuticals, leading the company's discovery research and building its Diabetes and Matrix Metalloproteinase franchise in the US and Germany before being acquired by Amgen in 2007.
Taveras began his career with Schering-Plough Corporation, where he spent 14 years in Oncology and Immunology Drug Discovery Research, after receiving his PhD with Professor A. Schultz at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.