Bulgarian CRO Comac Medical has found a new leader to guide the company's international expansion. Chris Smyth, Ph.D., is leaving his post as president of Icon Biotech to take the helm at Comac on Sept. 1, the company said in an April 28 release.
Smyth will join Comac as the company works to strengthen its global presence. The outfit has deployed business development teams in Germany, the U.K. and on the east and west coasts of the U.S., according to the release, with the goal of supporting biotech and pharma clients in industry hubs.
The company is also looking to expand through M&A, Comac said in the release, with the goal of becoming the leading full-service CRO in Europe.
"We are building on a strong legacy, expanding our regional footprint, and staying focused on delivering exceptional value to our clients and providing opportunities for our teams," Smyth said in the release.
Smyth is taking the reins from former co-CEOs Rossitsa Vrabevska, M.D., and Vladimir Goranov. He won’t be the only fresh face in the C-suite, as Comac appointed Christian Buhlmann as chief commercial officer in January. Buhlmann is an industry veteran, having held leadership roles at CROs like Parexel and PSI as well as drug discovery firm Evotec.
Comac was founded in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1997 and has since established a presence in more than 30 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the release.