Amgen taps Moderna vet Paul Burton as new CMO

Amgen’s new CMO will come from the ranks of Moderna, the company announced Wednesday.

Paul Burton, who was CMO at Moderna for nearly two years, will join Amgen on June 26, according to an internal memo shared with Endpoints News. Burton joined Moderna in 2021, replacing former CMO Tal Zaks, who cashed out tens of millions in stock before his departure. Burton’s arrival came several months before the company launched a mid-stage trial for its Omicron-specific booster vaccine.

David Reese

The latest appointment is a homecoming of sorts for Burton, who spent three years as a global development leader at Amgen after its $16 billion acquisition of Immunex. He also worked 16 years at Johnson & Johnson, ending as chief global medical affairs officer of the pharma giant’s Janssen. His resume boasts experience in a range of therapeutic areas, including work as a cardiothoracic surgeon and leading J&J’s partnership with Apple.

Amgen announced a few months ago that it would create a chief medical office, where a CMO reporting to EVP of R&D David Reese would oversee global medical, regulatory affairs and patient safety, as well as R&D strategy and operations. Amgen conducted a “thorough evaluation process,” which included consideration of several candidates and advice from “key stakeholders,” Reese said in the internal memo. Burton is taking the reins from Darryl Sleep, SVP of global medical, who has been leading the chief medical office on an interim basis since March.

Darryl Sleep

Sleep will now report to Burton, as well as SVP of global regulatory affairs and strategy Mark Taisey, VP of global patient safety Fatima Bhayat and VP of R&D strategy and operations Isma Benattia.

Amgen has been in the spotlight following a lawsuit filed last month by the Federal Trade Commission to block its $28 billion Horizon takeover. The FTC’s concerns revolve around bundling or offering multi-product discounts that make it difficult for rivals to compete. The agency is particularly concerned about Horizon’s blockbuster thyroid eye disease and chronic refractory gout drugs Tepezza and Krystexxa, respectively, which generated a combined $2.7 billion in revenue last year.

The companies fired back in court on Friday, calling the lawsuit “as misguided as it is unprecedented.” They remain confident they can close the deal by mid-December.

cmo
medical
pharma