Enrique Conterno, currently senior vice president of health care professional markets for Lilly in the U.S., has been promoted to president, Lilly USA, LLC, effective immediately. Mr. Conterno succeeds Deirdre Connelly, who has resigned from the company. Ms. Connelly has been named president of North American Pharmaceuticals at GlaxoSmithKline, effective February 9, 2009.

Mr. Conterno joined the company as a sales representative in 1992 and held roles as a financial analyst, marketing associate, business development manager, sales and marketing director for Lilly's Peru affiliate and Lilly Brazil. Mr. Conterno also served as executive director of marketing for Lilly's intercontinental region and general manager of Lilly Mexico, and served as vice president of Lilly's neuroscience business unit in the U.S.

"Enrique brings more than 16 years of proven results and strong leadership to one of the company's most important positions," said John Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "He understands the complexities of the U.S. marketplace, he has stressed the need to accelerate the transformation that is underway at this company, and he is focused on the needs of the patients we serve. I am pleased that Enrique has accepted this challenge and am confident that he will succeed in this key leadership role. "

Mr. Conterno will report to Bryce Carmine, executive vice president of global marketing and sales. He will join the company's operations committee, and will remain a member of the senior management council.

Said Dr. Lechleiter, "We regret that Deirdre has decided to leave Lilly. Her passion for the patients we serve will be greatly missed. She has delivered strong results in every role she has held at Lilly. She has displayed a remarkable level of energy and integrity, and she has built a team and a culture that have proven to be successful. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Enrique Conterno, I am confident, will build further on the foundation Deirdre and her team have established."

President and chief executive officer, Arthur Przybyl, is leaving Akorn, Inc. Pending the selection of his replacement, a committee of three board members will oversee the company's operations and will identify Mr. Przybyl’s replacement. The committee consists of Dr. John Kapoor, chairman of the board of directors, and directors Randall Wall and Jerry Ellis.

Dr. Kapoor stated, “Our current management team will execute the strategy for the company to achieve continued growth and success. We will endeavor to identify a replacement as soon as practicable.”

Dr. Derek Ellison was appointed chief operating officer, Eden Biodesign. The appointment is part of a management restructure, changing responsibilities for seven executive and senior management members to support the company's expansion efforts.
 
Dr. Ellison, co-founder of Eden and previously vice president development and manufacturing, stated, “I am extremely excited to take on the role of COO. Being a co-founder of Eden, I have witnessed the company rise and develop, and am extremely proud of our move into new markets, while retaining our excellent reputation.”
 
Dr. Anita Bate, co-founder of Eden and previously science director, will become chief scientific officer. Dr. Bate’s responsibilities will include managing a transatlantic team tasked with exploring new opportunities for the company and evaluating new technologies.
 
Also, as Dr. Phil Ball moves from the UK to the U.S. offices, he will take up the role of technical director and will support Roger Lias, president of Eden Biodesign, Inc. (the U.S. subsidiary of Eden).
 
Additional promotions and changes in responsibility include:  Dr. David Simpson, process development manager, Dr. Mandy Shipman, biopharm development consultant, and Gina Wenham will take on responsibility for the Analytical Development team alongside Quality Control and Alison Justice has been promoted to QA director.
 
Dr. Crawford Brown, chief executive officer and founder of Eden Biodesign commented, “We are delighted to announce these strategic changes to the executive and senior management team, which will maintain Eden’s position of leadership in the bioprocessing marketplace and which demonstrates our commitment to U.S. development and our international focus as demand continues to grow."

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