Janssen-Cilag boosts senior team with appointment of David Keown

David Keown has joined Janssen-Cilag in the role of senior comms manager.

Keown, who was at Sanofi-Aventis for more than four years, will be responsible for brand and corporate PR for the pharma firm in the UK. The key brands he will look after inc­lude multiple myeloma treatment Velcade, schizophrenia drug Risperdal Consta, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment Concerta XL and Stelara, available for the treatment of adults with moderate or severe plaque psoriasis.

In addition, Keown will support the business, preparing for the launch of pipeline products in late-stage development in a number of disease areas, including prostate cancer, hepatitis and diabetes.

In his new role, Keown will report to Mark Lloyd Davies, who started last year in the role of head of government aff­airs and communications.

Keown’s appointment follows a number of changes imp­lemented by Davies since he joined the firm. Last month, Virgo Health and Open Road Communications were awarded a joint brief to handle the PR and public affairs activity for Risperdal Consta.

The appointments followed an internal and external rev­iew of the pharma firm’s comms activities, started by Davies.

Janssen-Cilag is part of the Johnson & Johnson group of companies and employs more than 500 people in the UK.  Key areas of activity include psychiatry; neurology; oncology; immunology and pain management.