Synbiotics Inc. of San Diego elevated Robert L. Widerkehr topresident and chief executive officer.

Widerkehr joined Synbiotics in May 1991 as a senior vicepresident and president of Synbiotics Animal Health. He waspreviously headed SmithKline Beecham's animal healthbusiness for North America.

He replaces Edward T. Maggio, a co-founder of the company in1982, is shifting his attention to ImmunoPharmaceutics Inc., a43 percent-Synbiotics affiliate involved in rational drugdesign.

Maggio served concurrently as ImmunoPharmaceutic'spresident and CEO since that company's founding in 1989. Heremains a director of Synbiotics (NASDAQ:SBIO).

Amgen Inc. of Thousand Oaks, Calif., named N. Kirby Altonsenior vice president, therapeutic product development; RobertK. Andren senior vice president, operations; Dennis M. Fentonsenior vice president, sales and marketing; and Lowell E. Searssenior vice president, Asia-Pacific. Alton was vice president,therapeutic product development. Andren was vice president,manufacturing and engineering. Fenton was vice president,process development, facilities and manufacturing services.Sears was vice president, finance and chief financial officer.He will retain his CFO responsibilities until a successor isnamed.

The Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Institute namedMason Irving III vice president of commercial development. Hewas a vice president of Arthur D. Little Inc.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., namedStephanie K. Marrus director of corporate communications. Shewas a Massachusetts official in the executive office ofadministration and finance and deputy secretary for economicaffairs.

North American Biologicals Inc. of Miami named Pinya Cohenvice president of quality assurance and regulatory affairs andGeorge D. Bingham general manager of the immune globulindivision. Cohen was chief of the blood and blood derivativessection of the National Institutes of Health, and Bingham wasmanager of quality circle administration at Baxter DiagnosticsInc.

Hybridon Inc. of Worcester, Mass., named Claude B. Coutinhovice president of regulatory affairs and medical director. Hewas a pharmacologist/medical reviewer within the center fordrug evaluation and research at the FDA.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc. of San Mateo, Calif., namedHenry Koh general manager of the company's joint venturecompany in Singapore. He was with Wellcome Pte Ltd.

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