$4.3 billion Biogen Idec has announced the appointment of two new members to its board: Eric Rowinsky and Stephen Sherwin. Icahn Partners, led by activist investor Carl Icahn, proposed Rowinsky as a nominee, while Sherwin was selected by the company.

Rowinsky has served as a director at Adventrx Pharmaceuticals since February 2008, recently serving as executive vice president of clinical development and regulatory at ImClone Systems Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. Prior to joining ImClone Systems in 2005, Rowinsky focused his academic efforts in cancer drug development as the director of clinical research and later director of the Institute for Drug Development of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center in San Antonio and the SBC Endowed Chair for Early Drug Development from 1996 to 2005.

He was also clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio from 1996 to 2006. From 1987 to 1996, Rowinsky served as an Associate Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Sherwin has more than 30 years of experience in senior leadership positions at large and small publicly traded biotechnology companies. He co-founded and is chairman of two biotechnology companies: Ceregene, a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of major neurodegenerative disorders, and Abgenix, which specialized in the discovery, development, and manufacture of human therapeutic antibodies (Abgenix was acquired by Amgen in 2006). He also served as chairman and CEO of Cell Genesys until its acquisition by BioSante Pharmaceuticals in July 2009, and he worked at Genentech for seven years including as vice president of clinical research.

Following the company's 2010 annual meeting, there will be twelve seats on the board.

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