People In Brief
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Diagnostics and diabetes at Roche: Jürgen Schwiezer will take the helm of Roche's diagnostics business in January, the firm announces Oct. 2. He will succeed Severin Schwan, who will become CEO of the Swiss drug and diagnostic company in March (1"The Gray Sheet" July 23, 2007, p. 10). Schwiezer is Roche Diagnostic's president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, the unit's largest market region. Also on Oct. 2, Roche announced that Burkhard G. Piper, who heads the diabetes care division, will report directly to the company CEO beginning in January, rather than reporting to Schwiezer. Roche says it is not creating a separate diabetes business unit to join its pharmaceutical and diagnostic units, but the direct CEO report signals its intention to be more aggressive in the diabetes space, where it holds the number one worldwide position in blood glucose monitors (Accu-Chek) and number two in insulin infusion. Meanwhile, Roche is set to lose its top spot in the worldwide clinical laboratory diagnostics market with Siemens' imminent acquisition of Dade Behring (2"The Gray Sheet" July 30, 2007, p. 4)