End of an era at Biogen as R&D head Sandrock readies to retire 

Alfred Sandrock is retiring as head of R&D at Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) after 23 years at the company. Sandrock, who will depart at year-end, led development of many of the company’s most important therapies, including Aduhelm aducanumab-avwa for Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis therapies Plegridy peginterferon beta-1a, Tecfidera dimethyl fumarate and Tysabri natalizumab, and Spinraza nusinersen, which was the first FDA-approved therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

A member of the bellwether’s executive committee since 2015, Sandrock has been head of R&D since October 2019 and served as CMO in 2012-20. Priya Singhal, head of global safety and regulatory sciences, will serve as acting head of R&D until the company identifies a successor...