SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. said Sunday it named world renowned drug developer Christopher Gallen as its next chief executive.

The pharmaceutical arm of SK Group said Gallen will take office after gaining approval from shareholders and the board of directors at regular meetings at the end of this month.

The former chief executive of Neuromed and former executive vice president at Zalicus has built a career of more than 30 years in the United States, the world’s largest market for pharmaceuticals and bioscience.

Gallen is known for his excellent ability not just in pharmaceutical development but also in commercialization, business development and financing, SK Biopharmaceuticals said in a press release.

At Zalicus, Gallen led the clinical development and commercialization of Exalgo for chronic pain management.

For his clinical development and commercialization of more than 10 new drugs at major global pharmaceutical companies such as Wyeth and Pharmacia, Gallen was nominated by PharmaVOICE magazine in 2007 as one of the “100 Most Inspiring People in the Life Sciences Industry.”

“Dr. Gallen will be able to lead the development and commercialization of our treatments for epilepsy and pain management,” said Park Sang-hoon, current CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)