Jean-Pierre Garnier has been appointed chairman of the board of Alzheon Inc., a Framingham-based private biopharmaceutical startup focused on developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Garnier served as CEO of British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline from 2000 to 2008, following the merger of SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome. In 2014, GlaxoSmithKline was the world’s sixth-largest pharmaceutical company.
Dr. Martin Tolar, president and CEO of Alzheon, said the company is “delighted” to have Garnier as chairman of the board. Tolar said in a statement that Garnier will provide “invaluable insights and guidance” as the company advances its lead drug candidate, ALZ-801, into a Phase 3 clinical program targeting a genetically-defined Alzheimer’s disease population.
“It is exhilarating to be part of Alzheon as we are on the cusp of assessing … a potential first-in-class treatment for this devastating disease,” Garnier said.
