Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D., has been appointed executive vice president, R&D, at Santarus, Inc. Dr. Wierenga will have responsibility for overseeing clinical research, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, medical affairs and pharmacovigilance.
 
“We are extremely pleased that Wendell is joining the Santarus executive team,” said Gerald T. Proehl, Santarus’ president and chief executive officer. “We intend to call upon his wealth of experience successfully managing pharmaceutical and biologic drug development to oversee the important activities supporting the advancement of our development pipeline that includes three Phase III investigational drugs and one in Phase I testing.”

Dr. Wierenga most recently served as executive vice president of R&D at Ambit Biosciences, where he was responsible for all research and drug development activities including clinical, regulatory affairs and manufacturing. Prior to that he was executive vice president, R&D at Neurocrine Biosciences, where he led all research and drug development activities. Dr. Wierenga also served as chief executive officer of Syrrx and senior vice president of research for Parke-Davis.