Gilead’s Cancer Division Loses Alessandro Riva, Victoria Smith

The oncology division of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) is losing two of its leaders. Alessandro Riva, executive vice president of oncology therapeutics for the Foster City, CA, company, is leaving to become CEO of a Glenmark Pharmaceuticals spinout in Paramus, NJ. The yet-to-be-named Glenmark spinoff will take with it eight programs spanning cancer, immunology, and pain. Riva will remain with Gilead through the end of March.

In other moves, Victoria Smith, Gilead’s senior director of biology, has been appointed chief scientific officer of South San Francisco, CA-based Amphivena Therapeutics. Amphivena’s lead drug, AMV564, is in two Phase 1/2 studies in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Author: Frank Vinluan

Xconomy Editor Frank Vinluan is a business journalist with experience covering technology and life sciences. Based in Raleigh, he was a staff writer at the Triangle Business Journal covering technology, biotechnology and energy before joining MedCityNews.com as North Carolina bureau chief. Prior to moving to North Carolina’s Research Triangle in 2007 he held business reporting positions at The Des Moines Register and The Seattle Times.