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Amarin announces CEO succession plan

By Pavankumar on Apr 12, 2021 | 04:32 AM IST

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DUBLIN, Ireland and BRIDGEWATER, N.J., April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ:AMRN) today announced that John F. Thero, 60, has informed the board of directors of his plan to retire as president and chief executive officer, effective August 1, 2021. He will also step down from the board at that time. The board has appointed Karim Mikhail, 50, Amarin’s senior vice president and head of commercial for Europe, to succeed Mr. Thero as the company’s next president and chief executive officer. Mr. Mikhail will join the board upon his effective date. Mr. Thero will continue to provide his guidance and expertise to the company in an advisory capacity through the end of 2021.

Mr. Mikhail joined Amarin in 2020 from THEODON, a global commercial strategy consultancy he founded in 2018. Prior to this, Mr. Mikhail spent more than 20 years at Merck, where from 2014 to 2018 he served as global commercial leader for Merck’s $4 billion lipid franchise, overseeing P&L and leading the worldwide launch of ezetimibe with the IMPROVE-IT study indication. In this role, he was responsible for reversing the business’ decline in the U.S. market and globally, accelerating revenue by an additional $380 million through the launch of ATOZET and driving EBITDA growth through international expansion. Prior to that, Mr. Mikhail led the successful commercial launch of dozens of products, including ezetimibe and various molecules in diabetes, hypertension, immunology, and oncology, and served as Merck’s chief marketing officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa and chief operating officer for emerging markets. At Amarin, Mr. Mikhail has been responsible for preparing commercialization of the company’s lead product in Europe, for which regulatory approval was received on March 30, 2021.

Dr. Lars Ekman, Chairman of Amarin’s Board of Directors, commented, “After 12 years at Amarin, and the last seven as CEO, John has decided now is the right time to announce his retirement. We owe enormous gratitude to John as under his leadership roles, with the support of the entire Amarin team, the company has completed multiple successful clinical trials, launched its lead product VASCEPA® (icosapent ethyl) in the United States, and has initiated its international expansion plans, including commercialization in Europe following the recent marketing authorization of VAZKEPA from the European Commission. John and the entire board have taken a thoughtful approach to succession planning designed to ensure that Amarin is best positioned to both continue its progress in the United States and accelerate its growth trajectory globally. The board has been increasingly impressed with Karim’s strategic and operational capabilities, and his clear passion for VASCEPA and vision for continuing Amarin’s progress worldwide make him the clear choice to succeed John. We look forward to an exciting new chapter for the highly capable Amarin team under Karim’s leadership.”

“While announcing my retirement is a bittersweet moment for me, I have every confidence in Amarin and its outstanding employees who are dedicated to the patients and shareholders we serve,” said Mr. Thero. “2021 is a pivotal year for Amarin as we continue to develop markets for our important drug, VASCEPA. As the first-and-only drug approved by each of the U.S. FDA, European Commission, and Health Canada for treatment of the studied high-risk patients with persistent cardiovascular risk after statin therapy, we are proud of our role in ushering in a new era in cardiovascular care. With our unique therapeutic solution and deep bench of internal talent, I believe that now is an ideal time to transition leadership to Karim as we work to realize Amarin’s full potential. Since Karim joined Amarin last year, he has proven himself to be an invaluable member of the leadership team and a true partner to me as we prepare for the commercialization of VAZKEPA in Europe. I am excited to continue working closely with him and the board to facilitate a successful transition over the coming months.”

Mr. Mikhail stated, “I joined Amarin last year because I was inspired by the company’s entrepreneurial spirit in addressing such a large unmet medical need and the potential to set a new standard of cardiovascular care. I am honored to take on this new role. We have an unparalleled product with outstanding evidence, positive efficacy and safety profile, and tremendous momentum with our near-term European launch plans and expected commercial approval in China near the end of 2021. Amarin’s team is first rate and I am excited to build upon the strong commercial progress in the United States. I look forward to working with John, the board and the entire Amarin team as we capture the significant growth opportunities ahead.”

Source: globenewswire


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