Tarek Samad takes on task of delivering on Lundbeck's R&D

Lundbeck has looked internally to fill the role of head of R&D following the retirement of Johan Luthman, elevating Tarek Samad from his current position as global head of research and corporate patents.

There will be a handover period for a few months, with Luthman – who has held the top R&D job at Lundbeck for seven years – remaining at the company for the remainder of this year. Samad will officially take up the new role on 1st September.

He will be responsible for delivering on Lundbeck's pipeline during a challenging period for the Danish pharma group, which is facing a hit to its revenues in the coming years as it loses patent protection for antidepressant Trintellix/Brintellix (vortioxetine) and current growth driver Rexulti (brexpiprazole), used to treat depression, schizophrenia, and agitation associated with Alzheimer's dementia.

Those two drugs alone accounted for around 43% of Lundbeck's total revenues last year, and the company has already embarked on a major restructuring drive, handing over its operations in 27 markets to partner companies Swixx Group, Zuellig Pharma, and NewBridge Pharmaceuticals – a move that has allowed it to take more than 600 jobs off its payroll.

In a statement, Lundbeck said that the appointment of Samad reflects its commitment to leadership continuity, noting that since 2021, he has played "an instrumental role in executing Lundbeck's R&D strategy, advancing its innovation capabilities, and strengthening its research collaborations."

The new R&D chief will oversee the development of four programmes identified by Lundbeck as being the key to its growth prospects.

Those include anti-adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) candidate asedebart (formerly Lu AG13909), which earlier this month saw positive mid-stage results in patients with Cushing's disease.

The others are anti-alpha-synuclein antibody amlenetug for multiple system atrophy (MSA) – it's worth noting that midstage data for that was a bit mixed – as well as anti-PACAP drug bocunebart for migraine prevention and 5-HT 2C receptor super-agonist bexicaserin for seizures associated with rare forms of epilepsy. Lundbeck acquired the latter when it bought Longboard Pharma last year for $2.6 billion.

"Lundbeck combines a unique legacy of scientific excellence with an unwavering commitment to advancing innovation and improving the lives of people living with brain diseases," said Samad of his new role.

"Over the past five years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Johan and the broader R&D organisation to advance our science, strengthen our capabilities, and accelerate the progress of our pipeline," he added. "I look forward to building on this strong foundation."