GSK strengthens core prescription business with Sin hire

In a drive to boost its search for innovative products worldwide, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has hired Kevin Sin from Roche.

Sin, who currently works for Roche’s Genentech unit, will start his new post as senior vice president and head of worldwide business development for pharmaceuticals research and development, in July.

As Genentech’s vice president and global head of oncology business development, Sin has led deals since 2010 and has been pivotal in more than 100 transactions during the course of his career, covering various areas of disease.

This latest appointment is the first senior hire made by GSK’s new research and development (R&D) head Dr Hal Barron, who also worked for Genentech, which has developed bestselling biotech cancer medicines, such as Bevacizumab (Avastin).

Sin, who will report to Barron, will play a key role in GSK’s bid to increase the number of acquisitions and licensing deals, enhancing the delivery of pioneering new medicines for patients. That said, GSK is not expected to deliver its new products before 2020.

Barron, who took on his role in January, said, “I am extremely excited to have Kevin join GSK. Gaining access to the best science and technologies across the world as well as establishing highly productive collaborations with academia and industry, play an important role in creating a world-class R&D organisation.

“Kevin’s leadership skills, significant expertise and successful track record make him the ideal person to lead business development activities for R&D.”

Sin, who began his career as a scientist, has worked as an attorney advising private and public life sciences companies on business development and strategic partnering transactions. He will be based in San Francisco.

GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley, who joined the firm in April last year, stressed at the time that her priority is to strengthen the company’s drug pipeline and to improve returns in the core prescription drugs business.