AbbVie appoints new Chief Scientific Officer

Credit: Skorzewiak / Shutterstock.com

Dr Roopal Thakkar has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer of AbbVie.

He is the company’s current Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Global Therapeutics.

“As AbbVie’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Thakkar will continue to build momentum across discovery and all stages of development to fully realise the potential of our diverse pipeline. He has the right vision, skills and experience to lead our R&D organisation,” commented Rob Michael, Chief Executive Officer, AbbVie. Michael assumed his new role at the start of the month, following the announcement of his role as CEO in February this year.

AbbVie’s new Chief Scientific Officer

“I am excited to assume these new responsibilities for the R&D organisation at AbbVie,” remarked Dr Roopal Thakkar, Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer, AbbVie. “Our pipeline of more than 90 drug and device programs presents a significant opportunity to ensure AbbVie’s growth well into the next decade…and it’s my privilege to lead this organisation as we take on the most challenging health issues for patients.”

The current AbbVie Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, Global Research, Thomas Hudson, will retire. He joined AbbVie in 2016 and was appointed as chief scientific officer in 2019.

Dr Thakkar’s previous roles

As Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer, AbbVie, Dr Thakkar is also responsible for the six major R&D centres of excellence located across the US, Germany and Japan, AbbVie shared.

Dr Thakkar joined Abbott/AbbVie in 2003 and has progressed through several positions in clinical development, including group project director, immunology, as well as vice president and global regulatory affairs.

In 2019, Dr Thakkar took on the role of vice president, global regulatory affairs and R&D quality assurance. In 2022 he was appointed as senior vice president, development and regulatory affairs and chief medical officer. Last year, Dr Thakkar assumed the role of senior vice president, chief medical officer, global therapeutics.

He trained in internal medicine and was clinical fellow at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr Thakkar obtained his bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan and his MD from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, US.