CRO ShangPharma has announced that Dr. Arthur Taveras will join the company as president and chief scientific officer. Taveras brings pharmaceutical leadership and technical experience in drug discovery, chemistry R&D and pharmaceutical development having worked as a pharmaceutical and biotech executive during his 24 year career.

Previusly, Taveras was vice president small molecules drug discovery, vice president chemistry R&D and vice president CMC development at Biogen Idec, leading the discovery and CMC development of neurology, immunology and oncology drug candidates at its multiple sites and partnerships in the U.S. and abroad. Before Biogen Idec, Taveras was vice president of drug discovery and CMC Development at Alantos Pharmaceuticals, leading the company's discovery research and building its diabetes and matrix metalloproteinase franchise in the U.S. and Germany before being acquired by Amgen in 2007. Taveras began his career with Schering-Plough, where he spent 14 years in oncology and immunology drug discovery research

Taveras has overseen or contributed to more than 40 drug discovery research and/or CMC development programs in neurology, immunology, oncology, pain, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, lupus and rheumatology. Multiple drug candidates from these programs have advanced through preclinical and/or clinical/CMC development.