Biogen Idec announced in August that Donald R. Johns, M.D. ’83, has joined the company as vice president, leading Biogen Idec’s amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Innovation Hub (ALS iHub). The ALS iHub is a new unit dedicated to accelerating the discovery and development of novel therapies for ALS by integrating research with clinical development. In this role, Johns leads a group with expertise and skill sets that span translational science and technology, neurology research, experimental medicine, clinical development and business development. The ALS iHub seeks to create a new model for developing ALS therapies by incorporating the latest science, technology and advances in clinical trial design.
Johns has spent more than 30 years researching and developing medicines for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. He has contributed to several successful new drug applications and has 14 patents in his name that are either issued or pending. He joins Biogen Idec from Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where he held multiple positions, including vice president and global head of Neuroscience Translational Medicine. At Novartis, he was responsible for neuroscience strategy, including the selection of targets and clinical indications. Prior to working at Novartis, Johns held positions at the Center for the Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He has also held teaching roles at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.