BRIEF—ASLAN appoints chief medical officer

Singapore-based ASLAN Pharmaceuticals has appointed a new chief medical officer, Kenneth Kobayashi, formerly senior medical director at Eli Lilly subsidiary Dermira.

Dr Kobayashi will take charge of lead candidate ASLAN004, an antibody that blocks the IL-13 receptor, which is being developed for atopic dermatitis (AD).

Prior to joining Dermira, Dr Kobayashi was clinical development medical director at Novartis, supporting development programs for anti-IL-17C and anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies.

Chief executive Carl Firth said: “Ken’s appointment is an important step for ASLAN as we build our presence in the USA in order to execute our global Phase IIb program in 2021.”