Vertex Pharmaceuticals has announced that its Board of Directors has approved the planned transition of Reshma Kewalramani, MD, its current Chief Medical Officer, to become President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and to serve on Vertex’s Board of Directors. Current Chairman, President and CEO Jeffrey Leiden, MD, PhD, will move into the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, effective April 2020.

Dr. Leiden has agreed to serve as Executive Chairman through the first quarter of 2023.

Dr. Kewalramani joined Vertex in February 2017 and currently serves as the company’s Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer. In this role, she oversees clinical development, medical affairs, drug safety, and other related functions and is responsible for developing, advising and driving execution of Vertex’s clinical development programs.

Prior to Vertex, Dr. Kewalramani spent more than 12 years at Amgen, where she held a variety of roles across research and development, including as Vice President, Global Clinical Development, Nephrology & Metabolic Therapeutic Area and Vice President, US Medical Organization, a group she established and grew to assume responsibility for the full portfolio of molecules across six therapeutic areas.

Dr. Kewalramani completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and her fellowship in nephrology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined program. She received her medical degree, with honors, from the Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Kewalramani also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School and is an alumnus of the school.

Dr. Kewalramani is also the industry representative to the US Food and Drug Administrations’ Endocrine and Metabolic Drug Advisory Committee.

Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals