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Biomedical industry veteran Dr. John Reed will join Johnson & Johnson as executive vice president of pharmaceuticals, R&D, the New Brunswick pharmaceutical giant announced Feb. 14. 

Bringing more than 35 years of biomedical research leadership to the role, Reed will also be a member of the company’s executive committee. 

Reed will join Johnson & Johnson April 3, taking over from Dr. William Hait, who has served as interim leader of the team since August 2022, when Dr. Mathai Mammen stepped down. 

Reed comes to Johnson & Johnson from Sanofi where he was executive vice president, global head of research and development since 2018. Before that, he was global head of pharmaceutical research & early development at Roche, as well as CEO of an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute in La Jolla, Calif.  

“Dr. Reed is an accomplished leader and highly regarded researcher with an extraordinary track record for discovering and developing life-saving innovations on a global scale,” Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato said in a statement. 

“I am confident his experience and leadership will enable our Pharmaceutical R&D organization to continue to accelerate innovation and competitiveness, invest with focus and discipline and improve the lives of the patients we serve around the world with transformational medicines,” Duato added. 

According to Johnson & Johnson, Reed has authored more than 900 research publications, filed for more than 130 patents and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among other recognitions. 

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Reed studied molecular biology at the Wistar Institute and clinical pathology and laboratory medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Reed said about his new role, “I share the Company’s commitment to innovation to conquer disease and improve human health, and I look forward to applying my passion for science, experience in drug discovery and development and commitment to helping patients in leading the talented Pharmaceutical R&D team.” 

Johnson & Johnson’s latest groundbreaking announcements – such as its move to split into two companies and its recent $16.6 billion acquisition of medical tech company Abiomed – landed the company on the 2022 NJBIZ Companies to Watch list. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:26 a.m. ET Feb. 15 to include a photo of Dr. John Reed.