Ferring appoints Sophie Opdyke to lead its new U.S. oncology division

Ferring Pharmaceuticals (U.S.) announced that it has appointed Sophie Opdyke, Pharm.D., MBA as Vice President, General Manager, Oncology, effective immediately. She most recently served as Vice President, Immuno-Oncology Lead at Pfizer.

Opdyke’s role is Ferring’s first major executive appointment of 2019. She will be responsible for building the U.S. division, leading its day-to-day operations, and shaping its long-term strategic business plan. This includes leading the potential commercial launch of an investigational gene therapy for bladder cancer patients.

Opdyke has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently at Pfizer, she led the development and execution of Pfizer’s strategy in Immuno-Oncology. Specifically, she oversaw all associated commercial activities from pre-clinical through launch for the company’s portfolio, including check point inhibitors, novel Immuno-Oncology targets and innovative technologies such as allogenic CAR-T and immune therapy-based vaccines. During her tenure, Opdyke was also instrumental in building and leading Pfizer’s Global Biosimilars organization, driving a core component of its biotherapeutics strategy.

“We’re delighted to welcome Sophie as the leader of our new oncology division as we prepare for a significant expansion of our presence in this area,” said Paul Navarre, CEO, Ferring Pharmaceuticals (U.S.). “Sophie’s depth of oncology experience and expertise are a significant asset to our U.S. leadership team.”

Opdyke holds a doctorate of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmaceutical Business from Université Paris Descartes and an MBA in finance and international business from Columbia Business School. She will report to Paul Navarre, CEO, Ferring Pharmaceuticals (U.S.).