Gilead Appoints Dietmar Berger as Chief Medical Officer

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Gilead has announced the appointment of Dietmar Berger, MD, PhD, as chief medical officer, effective January 2, 2025. Berger brings over 25 years of experience in global drug development. Succeeding Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Berger will oversee Gilead’s virology, oncology, and inflammation portfolio, along with its development and medical affairs functions.¹

“Dietmar’s exceptional leadership in global drug development, his track record in delivering transformational therapies, and the breadth and depth of his experience make him an ideal choice as Gilead’s chief medical officer,” said Daniel O’Day, chairman, CEO, Gilead, in a press release. “We are delighted to welcome Dietmar to Gilead at a time when we are poised to extend our leadership in virology and deliver on our significant potential in oncology and inflammation. We look forward to having Dietmar take up his role at the beginning of 2025 as we work to strengthen our impact for patients and communities worldwide.”

Before joining Gilead, Berger was previously the chief medical officer and global head of development at Sanofi, focusing on development science, strategy, and operations across the company’s therapeutic areas. Additionally, he has served in senior roles at Atara, Genentech, Bayer, and Amgen.¹

“I’m honored to join Gilead, an organization I have long admired as an industry leader and one of the world’s most innovative companies, whose transformative therapies have revolutionized the treatment, prevention and cure for some of healthcare’s greatest challenges,” said Dr. Berger. “I am looking forward to working with the talented team at Gilead to continue to advance its promising pipeline and improve health outcomes for communities around the world.”

Parsey had been with Gilead since November 2019. According to the company, he was responsible for the growth of the development organization, specifically with the advancement of market leading treatments in virology and the establishment of Gilead’s oncology pipeline and therapeutics.²

“On behalf of everyone at Gilead, I want to thank Merdad for his significant contributions as our chief medical officer over the last five years. These were pivotal years for the company as we worked to strengthen and diversify the portfolio, and Merdad played a fundamental role in our success,” said O’Day, in a press release. “We have more than doubled our portfolio under Merdad’s leadership, and with 54 ongoing clinical trials across virology, oncology, and inflammation, we are well positioned to build on our success for the future.”

Berger completed his medical training at Freiberg, Basel, and Chicago. Additionally, he holds an MD and PhD from the Albert-Ludwigs University School of Medicine. He has led academic research groups focusing on preclinical drug development, tumor models, angiogenesis, and immunotherapy in Germany, and at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA. Further, he received the Cancer Award of the German Cancer Society for his research on angiogenesis and has authored more than 50 scientific publications and five books.³

References

1. Gilead Sciences Appoints Dietmar Berger, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer. Gilead. December 12, 2024. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.gilead.com/news/news-details/2024/gilead-sciences-appoints-dietmar-berger-md-phd-as-chief-medical-officer

2. Chief Medical Officer Merdad Parsey to Leave Gilead Early 2025. Gilead. July 17, 2024. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.gilead.com/news/news-details/2024/chief-medical-officer-merdad-parsey-to-leave-gilead-early-2025

3. Dietmar Berger. TranscelerateBiopharma. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.transceleratebiopharmainc.com/leaders/dietmar-berger/