Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Germany's Merck KGaA has appointed Luciano Rossetti as executive vice president and global head of research & development with effect from July 2.

Rossetti most recently was Senior Vice President Late Stage Development at US pharmaceutical producer Merck Sharp & Dohme, where he was responsible for the entire clinical development from Phase II to Phase V across all therapeutic areas.

The new R&D chief will be based in Billerica, outside Boston, Massachusetts, in the US, one of Merck Serono's four global R&D hubs, and will share his time between Merck's headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, and Billerica.