AstraZeneca appoints Roche’s Pascal Soriot as new CEO
Firstwordpharma | AstraZeneca announced Tuesday the appointment of Pascal Soriot, the current chief operating officer of Roche’s pharmaceuticals division, as the company’s new CEO, effective October 1. The drugmaker noted that interim chief executive Simon Lowth, who took over after David Brennan retired from the position on June 1, will remain in the role until Soriot joins, after which he will resume his responsibilities as chief financial officer.
“No one is blind to the challenges that confront the pharmaceutical sector and this company, but the underlying strengths of AstraZen
eca in delivering on its strategy are clear,” Soriot said, adding that “AstraZeneca will continue to make a positive difference to patients over the longer term and I’m looking forward to playing my part in shaping that future.”
Commenting on the appointment, Panmure Gordon analyst Savvas Neophytou remarked “it’s good news to get a resolution to something that’s been outstanding for a few months now.” Neophytou added that it will be interesting to see if Lowth was interviewed for the position, and if he remains at the company under Soriot. “Simon has been a very strong CFO for AstraZeneca at a time of significant turmoil,” the analyst noted.