Reflecting Astellas’ current successes and ongoing work to turn innovative science into value for patients, the company’s leadership has announced a strategic restructuring of key business units accompanied by a number of executive promotions. 

As previously announced, the Legal and Intellectual Property (IP) groups will become a single Legal division under the leadership of Catherine Levitt, who has been named Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Levitt, a standing member of the Astellas Pharma Inc. Executive Committee, succeeds Executive Vice President and General Counsel Linda Friedman, who has retired after 27 years of service.

Two key business unit changes in the U.S. Commercial organization will also position the company to optimize new opportunities and recognize the growing diversification of Astellas’ development pipeline. The Urology Hospital Business Unit has been renamed Medical Specialties, led by Senior Vice President Steve Sabus; and the Corporate Development and Commercial Operations teams will merge into a new Commercial Strategy & Operations organization led by Vice President Lynn Fenicchia. 

“Creating the Medical Specialties unit reflects the breadth of therapeutic areas in which Astellas is making a profound impact. With our growing, diversified pipeline, we are preparing organizationally to serve these areas of high unmet medical needs and to achieve future growth,” said Percival Barretto-Ko, President, Astellas U.S.  “Meanwhile, the new Commercial Strategy & Operations team will assume responsibility for setting the strategic agenda of the U.S. Commercial organization and enhance efficiency by serving as a single source of capabilities for all U.S. business units.” 

LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS:

Catherine Levitt has been named Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and a standing member of the Astellas Pharma Inc. Executive Committee. Levitt has held numerous leadership roles since joining Fujisawa as Assistant General Counsel in 2004.  Among other positions, she has served as Vice President, Risk Management and Chief Litigation Counsel; Vice President, US Legal; Vice President, Regional General Counsel and Secretary of Astellas Americas; and, most recently as Senior Vice President, Legal Head of Commercial, Regulatory, Medical & Development, Rx+/transactional.

Nahrin Marino will succeed Levitt and assume the role of Senior Vice President, Legal Head of Commercial, Regulatory, and Medical & Development.  Marino has been leading the US Ethics & Compliance department with significant responsibilities as Vice President, Head of Ethics & Compliance US, Development and Innovation.  She will serve as a global strategic legal partner to the Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, and Chief Medical Officer.

Morne Voigt will succeed Marino as Vice President, Head of Ethics & Compliance US, Development and Innovation.  Voigt has been Head of Ethics & Compliance Established and International Markets, and Global Commercial Strategies and Medical Affairs.  He was previously in the Ethics & Compliance organization as Head of EMEA. 

Andrea Burke has been named Vice President, IP Legal Commercial, Trademarks & Litigation. Burke previously served as IP Lead, Commercial, Trademarks and Transactions, where she had global responsibility for Commercial and Trademarks support and overseeing business development support for late stage assets. She joined Astellas in January 2015 as Associate General Counsel, IP.

Steve Sabus will lead the Medical Specialties Business Unit as Senior Vice President.  Sabus previously served as General Manager, Astellas Pharma Canada. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Primary Care, Specialty, Hospital and Transplant sales at Astellas U.S., where he led successful product launches. 

Lynn Fenicchia will lead the new Commercial Strategy & Operations unit; transitioning from her role as Vice President, Sales, Urology / Hospital.  In her new position, Fenicchia will guide efforts to operationalize Astellas’ world-class commercial capabilities to achieve the overall objectives of the new organization.  She has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with key roles in sales leadership, marketing and operations.