US pharmaceutical company Viatris has appointed Matthew Maletta as chief legal officer, replacing Brian Romano in the role.
Maletta joins from Par Health, where he was also CLO. He brings nearly 30 years of public company legal experience and expertise leading legal team for generic and branded pharma companies.
Pittsburgh-based Viatris provides drug treatments in areas such as cardiovascular health, dermatology, diabetes, oncology and infectious diseases, among others. It was formed in 2020 through the combination of Mylan and former Pfizer unit Upjohn.
Scott Smith, Viatris CEO, said: “Given [Maletta’s] significant industry, public company and business development experience, I look forward to partnering closely with him as we continue to transform our company and pursue long-term growth.”
Maletta arrives after a short spell at Par Health, having previously been CLO at drugmaker Endo for more than a decade. Prior to that he spent more than 13 years at Allergan across a number of roles, including as associate general counsel, assistant GC and corporate counsel.
He started his career in private practice at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom before moving to Brobeck Phleger & Harrison.
He said: “This is a unique opportunity to join Viatris at an exciting time in its journey. I am honoured to join the company and be part of an extraordinary team that makes a real difference each and every day. I look forward to the future we will be able to build together.”
Roman, meanwhile, is set to leave the company after more than two decades, having been GC at predecessor business Mylan. He will stay on until 1 April to ensure a smooth transition.
Smith added: “On behalf of the board of directors and our entire company, I want to thank Brian Roman for his many years of dedicated leadership and service to our company. His legal expertise played an important role in helping to build the company we are today. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Earlier in his career, Roman was a partner at legacy firm Doepken Keevican & Weiss, having started out as an associate attorney at K&L Gates.
He said: “I have had so many tremendous experiences during my more than 20 years at Mylan and Viatris. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together across the multiple functions I have had the opportunity to lead during my time here. I sincerely thank our immensely talented internal legal and compliance teams for their partnership and consistent execution.”
In other recent US healthcare moves, last month health tech business Hello Heart hired David Wood as GC from Hinge Health, replacing Dwight Moxie in the role.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
