Melinta Therapeutics announced that Dan Wechsler will become the antibiotics developer’s new president and CEO after the New Haven, CT, company completes its merger with Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]). The combined company will keep the Melinta name. Wechsler’s experience includes various roles at The Upjohn Company, Pharmacia, Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), Schering-Plough, Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]), and Bausch + Lomb.
The rest of Melinta’s current management team, including chief medical officer Sue Cammarata, chief scientific officer Erin Duffy, and chief financial officer Paul Estrem, will keep their roles in the combined company. John Temperato, president and chief operating officer of Melinta, will become chief commercial officer after the merger.