Drugmaker Roche has appointed V Simpson Emmanuel as its head of Roche Products (India), about six months after the last change at the helm, when Lara Bezerra exited.

Simpson joined Roche in 2014, but his 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry have been across functions, the company said.

Multinational drug companies in India have seen many changes at the helm, and Roche has been one of them, having seen two top exits in recent years. Roche has in the past seen much debate around its cancer drugs. Emmanuel will have to chart a course between bringing innovative drugs to India and keeping them affordable.

Adriano Treve, Roche area head for Central Eastern Europe, Turkey, Russia and the Indian subcontinent, said that India is a priority for Roche. He hoped the new appointee would find new ways to shape the healthcare ecosystem together with customers and next generation technologies that could transform the lives of patients.

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