Romanelli rejoins Merck to lead Human Health International 

Joseph Romanelli will leave Shanghai-based CV company Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Ltd. to return to Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), where he will lead Human Health International and join the pharma’s executive team, effective Aug. 1. Romanelli will have P&L responsibility for Merck’s $22 billion international human health business and lead a team of 14,000 colleagues in more than 75 markets outside of the U.S. Romanelli led Merck’s business in China in 2016-21, during which time China became the pharma’s second-largest market. He first joined the company in 1996.

Christine Durinx became co-managing director at Belgium-based VIB, as the life sciences research institute begins a new five-year governmental funding cycle with a focus on data science and personalized health. Durinx was joint executive director of the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics...