AVINASH DESAI was named vice president of Americas Oncology Medical Affairs for the Oncology Business Group of Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Eisai Co. Ltd.
Desai will lead Eisai’s Oncology Medical Affairs team by creating and overseeing the medical strategy for the Oncology Commercial and Market Access businesses in the Americas. Desai, who has over 20 years of experience in the oncology field, will work closely with the company’s clinical, commercial and OBG strategy organizations to develop, implement and deliver oncology life cycle plans. He will provide strategic leadership to the Medical Affairs team to ensure the delivery of key objectives.
Desai has designed and implemented clinical development and life cycle management plans for a variety of pharmaceutical products, including anti-angiogenic agents, taxanes, proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and targeted therapies. He has served as the global lead of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs teams, and has experience in strategic planning for product development, long-range project and life cycle management strategies, and the development of contingency plans.
Desai joins Eisai from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he was Global Medical Affairs Leader, Oncology responsible for leading the life cycle management of the company’s oncology/hematology products. Prior to Janssen, he was director of International Clinical Development Oncology at Sanofi-Aventis, where he was responsible for the international development of oncology products in solid tumors and hematological malignancies and leading the NDA submission activities for several products. Desai also led the oncology clinical research/medical affairs department at Genaera Corporation.
