Novartis US Pharma CEO Alex Gorsky Resigns
Alex Gorsky, who joined the drugmaker as its No. 2 exec in the US four years ago before rising to the top slot, resigned today, a Novartis spokeswoman confirms. A replacement for the 47-year-old executive, who had previously worked at Johnson & Johnson, is being sought.
Gorsky will “pursue opportunities outside of the company,” the spokeswoman wrote us this evening. “We thank him for his strong leadership of the North American pharma business and wish him every success in his new role. His successor will be announced at a later date.”
UPDATE: Gorsky is going back to Johnson & Johnson. He will be the company group chairman and worldwide franchise chairman for Ethicon, and report to Sheri McCoy, who runs the Surgical Care Group, a J&J spokesman confirms.
His departure comes four months after an executive shuffle in which Joe Jimenez became worldwide pharma ceo, a spot that was previously held by Thomas Ebeling. Jimenez joined Novartis in April from Blackstone, the private equity firm, and was previously on the AstraZeneca board and an exec at HJ Heinz.
The changes occur as Novartis undertakes a cost-cutting campaign that involves cutting about 2,500 jobs and saving $1.6 billion. Before that reorganization was announced, the drugmaker had already disclosed plans to trim 1,250 jobs in the US specifically.
UPDATE: We would like to note that this was an exclusive item first reported by Pharmalot, which may not have been acknowledged elsewhere.







