Auxilium Pharmaceuticals has named Adrian Adams chief executive officer and president, effective immediately. Adams succeeds Armando Anido, who has agreed to step down as chief executive officer and president and has resigned as a member of the board of directors.

Adams has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently serving as chairman and CEO of Neurologix.

"Adrian is an industry veteran with an excellent reputation for growing organizations, driving corporate development activities and successfully building pipelines to create value for shareholders," said Rolf Classon, chairman of Auxilium's board of directors.