Eli Lilly and Company has announced that Lilly Bio-Medicines will split into two business units: Lilly Neuroscience and Lilly Immunology, effective September 5, 2021. Lilly also announced executive leadership changes.

Anne White, currently Senior Vice President and President of Lilly Oncology, will lead Lilly Neuroscience as Senior Vice President and President. Ms. White has led and grown Lilly’s oncology business over the past several years. At Lilly Neuroscience, Ms. White will be responsible for Lilly’s launched products and Phase III portfolio in pain and neurodegeneration, including the potential launch of donanemab for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The company recently announced breakthrough therapy designation for donanemab and its intention to submit a biologics license application (BLA) under the accelerated approval pathway later this year (2021).

Jacob Van Naarden, currently Chief Executive Officer of Loxo Oncology at Lilly, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, CEO of Loxo Oncology at Lilly and President of Lilly Oncology, and will be unifying these organizations. Lilly acquired Loxo Oncology, which is focused on the development and commercialization of medicines of genomically defined cancers, in 2019 for $8 billion. Loxo Oncology at Lilly was created in December 2019, combining the Lilly Research Laboratories oncology organization and Loxo Oncology. Mr. Van Naarden will also join Lilly’s Executive Committee.

Patrik Jonsson will lead Lilly’s launched products and Phase III portfolio of medicines in dermatology, gastroenterology and rheumatology as President, Lilly Immunology, in addition to his ongoing responsibilities as Senior Vice President and President, Lilly USA and Chief Customer Officer. Lilly recently announced positive Phase III results for new biologic entities of mirikizumab for ulcerative colitis and lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis. Mr. Jonsson previously served as Senior Vice President and President of Lilly Bio-Medicines and General Manager of Lilly Sweden, Scandinavia, Italy and Japan.

Lilly also announced that Alfonso (Chito) Zulueta, Senior Vice President and President of Lilly International, will retire from Lilly at the end of 2021. Ilya Yuffa, currently Senior Vice President and President of Lilly Bio-Medicines, will succeed Mr. Zulueta to lead the company’s commercial operations in all markets outside the US, except for Canada. With a tenure of nearly 25 years at Lilly, Mr. Yuffa previously served as Vice President of US Diabetes for Lilly USA and President and General Manager of Lilly’s Italy Hub in addition to numerous global positions in finance, business development, sales and general management.

Mike Mason will continue to serve as Senior Vice President and President, Lilly Diabetes, with responsibility for the company’s launched products and Phase III portfolio of diabetes therapies, including the potential launch of tirzepatide for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

Source: Eli Lilly and Company