FDA's MARION FINKEL, MD, IS JOINING BERLEX

FDA's MARION FINKEL, MD, IS JOINING BERLEX as exec director of R&D, effective July 1. Finkel, who has been director of FDA's Office of Orphan Drug Products since its inception in 1982, will be in charge of the company's clinical research program, pre-marketing and post-marketing activities and biostatistics. Included in her responsibilities will be overseeing the development of Berlex' orphan drug cyproterone acetate for hirsutism. Finkel tendered her resignation April 23 and is scheduled to leave FDA May 10. Finkel, 55, is a 22-year agency veteran. She began with FDA is 1963 as a medical officer in the Bureau of Medicine and became director of the Metabolic & Endocrine Div. in 1966. From 1970-1971, she was Bureau of Drugs deputy director. She moved to director of the Scientific Evaluation Office from 1971-1972, and served as Bureau of Drugs deputy director from 1972-1974. She was promoted to associate director for New Drug Evaluation in the Bureau in 1974, where she served eight years before moving to her current position in 1982. Finkel earned her MD in 1952 from Chicago Medical School. In addition to cyproterone, Berlex has four other drugs in its pipeline, all in Phase III testing. They include pirazolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory; lormetazepam, a hypnotic; fluocortin butyl, an anti-allergy drug; and the myelographic agent iotrol.