Company veteran named chief scientific officer at Pfizer

(Sharecast News) - Pfizer has appointed company insider Chris Boshoff as its new chief scientific officer, the US drugs giant confirmed on Wednesday.

The firm said that Boshoff, most recently chief oncology officer and executive vice president, would take over as chief scientific officer and president of research and development from 1 January 2025.

Boshoff has worked at New York-based Pfizer for more than 11 years, having gained his medical degree in South Africa and post-graduate qualifications in the UK.

He replaces Mikael Dolsten, a leading figure in the development of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine. Dolsten announced his departure earlier this year after 15 years with the business.

Chief executive Albert Bourla said Boshoff was the "ideal leader to propel Pfizer's R&D engine forward and transform it into a world-leading organisation with a more focused strategy, driving the additional impactful breakthrough medicines with blockbuster potential".

Boshoff, who will report directly to Bourla, said: "I look forward to working even more closely with Albert, our executive leadership team and our entire R&D organisation to take Pfizer's pipeline and productively to the next level."