37 Communique

Ipsen has appointed Michelle Werner as Executive Vice President (EVP)and President of North America. Most recently, Werner was President and CEO of Alltrna, a US-based biotechnology company.

With a career spanning more than 25 years, she has gained experience in multiple roles, including as Director for Global Market Access for oncology and virology portfolios at Bristol Myers Squibb, Head of the Immuno-Oncology franchise and Oncology business unit in the US at Astra Zeneca and Global Franchise Head for Solid Tumours at Novartis Oncology.

Werner said: “Joining a company that brings together two therapeutic areas where I have deep passion and expertise, such as rare diseases and oncology, is one of those unique opportunities that comes at the right time in my journey.”

LEO Pharma has appointed Matt Ferriday as General Manager for LEO Pharma UK. Matt joins the company from Ipsen Biopharma, where he held senior leadership roles across Rare Diseases and Neuroscience. A senior commercial leader with nearly two decades of experience, he has delivered high performance across in-country, regional and global roles, combining strategic leadership with strong operational execution. Driving sustainable growth, successful first-in-class launches and revitalising established franchises, Matt is passionate about addressing health inequity and making a positive impact on public health. Matt said: “My key priority is...working to deliver positive impact for people living with skin conditions.”

Helus Pharma has appointed Ken Kramer as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs.

Kramer joins Helus with more than two decades of experience leading medical affairs strategy across neuroscience programmes, including global launch readiness, evidence generation and engagement with key opinion leaders. Most recently, he served as Vice President and Head of Medical Neuroscience at Bristol Myers Squibb.

At Karuna Therapeutics, as VP and Head of Medical Affairs, Kramer built and expanded medical capabilities during a period of significant organisational growth. Earlier in his career, Kramer spent more than a decade leading US psychiatry medical affairs teams at AbbVie and its predecessor organisations, contributing to multiple successful product launches.

Innovative Trials has appointed Anita Owen as its first-ever Chief Operating Officer. Owen will report directly to the company’s co-founder and CEO Kate Shaw. In her new role, Owen will lead the company’s operational strategy, bringing extensive experience in clinical operations and leading large global teams, particularly in the US and Asia-Pacific regions. Owen brings more than three decades of clinical research experience to the role, having begun her career as a Clinical Research Associate for Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) before moving into more senior management positions for organisations including Schering-Plough, Chugai Pharma Europe, INC Research and PRA Health Sciences. She also spent four years at Caidya, a US-based CRO.

Bowel Research UK has appointed Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels as CEO. Having led the charity as Interim CEO since October 2025, she now takes on the role on a permanent basis. Pretzel-Shiels has been closely involved with the charity since 2016, initially as a Trustee and later as Chair of the Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Committee, before becoming Interim CEO. She brings more than 30 years’ experience in international business and marketing leadership, having spent 28 years at American Express, working across three continents, and later serving as Marketing Director at PAUL, where she led brand, digital transformation and customer engagement. She has also held a number of board and advisory roles across the charity and not-for-profit sector.