Biogen named Christopher Viehbacher, who formerly ran the French drug giant Sanofi, as its new CEO on Thursday, opening a new chapter for one of the first and most successful biotechnology firms but one that has struggled since the disastrous launch of the Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm.
Viehbacher, 62, will take the reins Monday, succeeding CEO Michel Vounatsos, who announced his impending resignation in May.
At Sanofi, Viehbacher was largely responsible for repositioning the staid French drugmaker and for deepening its partnership with the biotech firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a collaboration that resulted in the blockbuster autoimmune drug Dupixent, which generates more than $5 billion in annual sales and which Sanofi has forecast could top $10 billion in annual sales. He ran the firm for six years.
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