Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced two changes to its senior leadership team in the areas of research and development (R&D) and technology, underscoring the advancement of the company’s robust pipeline and its commitment to ongoing scientific and technological innovation. James Bradner, M.D., has joined Amgen as executive vice president of Research and Development, and chief scientific officer. Bradner is succeeding David M. Reese, M.D., who has been appointed executive vice president and chief technology officer. Both Bradner and Reese will report to Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen.
“For more than 40 years, Amgen’s focus on innovation has enabled us to deliver life-changing medicines to patients suffering from serious diseases around the world,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. “The steps we are announcing today reflect our conviction that the rapid convergence of ‘biotech’ and ‘tech’ will unlock the next frontier of innovation in biotechnology.”
Bradner is a seasoned R&D leader who will be responsible for advancing Amgen’s pipeline, which includes potential first-in-class medicines in all stages of development and across the company’s four therapeutic areas of focus: oncology, inflammation, general medicine and rare disease, in addition to biosimilars. He will also be responsible for Amgen’s worldwide research efforts.
Reese joined Amgen in 2005 and has led the R&D organization since 2018. During his tenure, Amgen has received approvals around the world for numerous innovative medicines and biosimilars. Building on Amgen’s commitment to leveraging human data in drug discovery and development, Reese has led the development of a robust pipeline. Recently he has also been the key architect of Amgen’s artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology initiatives with a focus on R&D. He will now be responsible for accelerating the use of technology and AI across all facets of the organization.
James Bradner, M.D., Joins as Executive Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Scientific Officer
“Amgen has distinguished, long-standing strengths in biotechnology, with world-class scientists pioneering solutions for patients suffering from serious illnesses,” said James Bradner, M.D., incoming executive vice president of Research and Development, and chief scientific officer at Amgen. “I look forward to further advancing our robust pipeline and research capabilities.”
An experienced scientific leader, Bradner served as President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where he was a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. His research and leadership have contributed to numerous development programs, multiple investigational new drug applications and positive proof-of-concept studies in clinical investigation. For the past year, he has been a clinician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and was previously an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. As an entrepreneur, he has co-founded and built several biotechnology startups.
David Reese, M.D., Appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
“We are at a hinge moment in the biopharmaceutical industry, where we are seeing profound changes in drug discovery and development powered by the union of technology and biotechnology. At Amgen we have been preparing for this moment for over a decade,” said David M. Reese, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Amgen. “We will continue to advance these investments in R&D, while also pursuing opportunities across the company where technology can enable us to work more efficiently and effectively on behalf of the patients we serve.”
Reese has been instrumental in driving a culture of innovation over his 18-year tenure at Amgen. Under his leadership, the company has built a robust pipeline and a powerful discovery research and development capability. This includes the induced proximity platform, next-generation capabilities in both small molecule and protein molecular engineering, a world-leading human data capability and the use of innovative clinical trial designs.
