Merrimack Names Sanofi/Genzyme Exec, Peters, New CEO

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MACK]]) has named Richard Peters its new president and CEO, stepping in for chairman Gary Crocker, who had manned the seat while the Cambridge, MA, company restructured. Peters is currently the senior vice president and head of Sanofi/Genzyme’s rare disease business, but has served in some oncology roles—Merrimack’s focus— at Sanofi/Genzyme as well. Peters will join Merrimack on Feb. 6.

Author: Ben Fidler

Ben is former Xconomy Deputy Editor, Biotechnology. He is a seasoned business journalist that comes to Xconomy after a nine-year stint at The Deal, where he covered corporate transactions in industries ranging from biotech to auto parts and gaming. Most recently, Ben was The Deal’s senior healthcare writer, focusing on acquisitions, venture financings, IPOs, partnerships and industry trends in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics and med tech spaces. Ben wrote features on creative biotech financing models, analyses of middle market and large cap buyouts, spin-offs and restructurings, and enterprise pieces on legal issues such as pay-for-delay agreements and the Affordable Care Act. Before switching to the healthcare beat, Ben was The Deal's senior bankruptcy reporter, covering the restructurings of the Texas Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, GM, Delphi, Trump Entertainment Resorts and Blockbuster, among others. Ben has a bachelor’s degree in English from Binghamton University.