NEW YORK, June 11 - Canadian proteomics company Syn X Pharma said Monday it has appointed Rod Wilson, a former vice president for sales at GlaxoSmithKline Canada, to the position of chief operating officer.
Wilson will replace Eric Fonberg who was hired as chief operating officer in January. A spokesperson for Syn X was not immediately available to comment on the reason for his departure.
While at GlaxoSmithKline, Wilson oversaw the sales, customer operations, distribution, and business information areas of the company's Canadian operations. Prior to working at GlaxoSmithKline, Wilson held sales and marketing positions with Eli Lilly.
Wilson is one of several new executives Syn X has hired in the last few months. In March, the company hired a former Eli Lilly executive to serve as vice president for business development, and in Febuary the company hired a senior protein scientist from Ciphergen, the Fremont, Calif.- based protein biochip manufacturer.
Syn X, of Mississauga, Ontario, has developed a differential proteomics platform for identifying biomarkers associated with diabetes, cardiovascular, and central nervous system diseases. The company hopes to focus initially on developing diagnostics from its proteomics research, such as a tool for diagnosing potential stroke victims.
The company currently has research alliances with seven industry and academic research institutions, including the Janssen Research Foundation, Genzyme, and University of Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation.