Former Sanofi Exec Koenig Joins Portola as Chief Commercial Officer

Portola Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTLA]]) has named Sheldon Koenig executive vice president and chief commercial officer. He comes to South San Francisco, CA-based Portola from Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), where he was head of the company’s cardiovascular franchise. His experience also includes leadership positions at Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]). Portola received FDA approval last year for andexanet alfa (Andexxa), a drug that reverses the effects of blood thinners in cases of life-threatening bleeding.

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.