Timothy Whitten was named president of Taiho Oncology Inc., a subsidiary of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Whitten, who until now has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer, will oversee corporate, commercial and clinical development-related functions at Taiho Oncology, as well as hold operational responsibility for Taiho Pharma Canada Inc. and Taiho Pharma Europe Ltd.
Whitten will continue to report to Taiho Oncology’s departing president, Eric Benn, who will remain chief executive officer until his retirement on April 1, at which time Whitten also will be named CEO.
At that time, Whitten will report directly to Masayuki Kobayashi, president and representative director of Taiho, headquartered in Tokyo.
Whitten joined Taiho Oncology in 2013 as senior vice president and chief commercial officer to oversee the company’s commercial functions and build Taiho Pharmaceutical’s first commercial business unit in the West.
Whitten also was responsible for development and execution of the company’s strategy for Lonsurf (trifluridine and tipiracil) tablets, Taiho Oncology’s first approved product in the United States.
Whitten was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer in 2017, adding human resources to his responsibilities, as well as operations of Taiho Pharma Canada Inc.
Prior to joining Taiho Oncology Inc., Whitten served as president and CEO of Transave/lnsmed from 2006 to 2012. During this time, he guided the company’s lead product from the preclinical stage into a global phase III program. From 2001 to 2006, Whitten was employed by Pharmacyclics, where he served in roles, including senior vice president, marketing & sales, and business development.
Whitten spent 17 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he served in various sales, marketing, and strategic planning roles. He also helped introduce Taxol into the U.S. oncology market.
