A life science pioneer, Simon Moroney, CEO and co-founder of MorphoSys AG, left the company this summer. Moroney was the head of the biotech company, initially based in Martinsried, for 27 years. Under Moroney’s leadership, MorphoSys developed into one of the key players in the biopharmaceutical industry, with a broad pipeline of drug candidates. Research focuses on medicines for the most severe diseases, such as various forms of cancer. Building on his leading expertise in antibody, protein and peptide technologies, MorphoSys and its partners have built up a pipeline based on more than 100 R&D programs, of which 29 are currently in clinical development. Moroney’s successor is Dr. Jean Paul Kress.

Based in Basel, the pharmaceutical company Novartis has now announced that Moroney will be accepted onto the top board of directors of the pharmaceutical giant at its annual general meeting on February 28, 2020. According to a press release, the company is pleased that “Moroney’s sound scientific knowledge and extensive experience in leading a biotech company” will benefit Novartis in the future.