CAMBRIDGE, Mass. July 23, 2018 – Pfizer Inc. announced today that Dr. Seng Hing Cheng, Ph.D., an accomplished scientist and leader in rare disease, will become Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Rare Disease Research Unit. Dr. Cheng will join Pfizer on July 30, 2018 and report to Mikael Dolsten, MD, Ph.D. President of Worldwide Research and Development.

In his role at Pfizer, Dr. Cheng will oversee the company’s growing rare disease portfolio of discovery and early clinical programs which cover a range of therapeutic areas, including rare hematological and neuromuscular diseases, as well as Pfizer’s emerging presence and leadership in gene therapy.

Dr. Cheng joins Pfizer from Sanofi Genzyme where he serves as the Global Head of Research for Rare Disease leading a team of researchers in pursuit of transformative treatments for patients living with rare metabolic, neurological, neuromuscular, renal, pulmonary and hematological diseases.

Dr. Cheng received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Biochemistry from the University of London, UK, and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, UK, in the field of tumor biology. He has co-authored 273 research articles and reviews, and is a named co-inventor on 46 issued US patents in biotechnology.

“Dr. Cheng is an accomplished scientific leader with experience overseeing multiple clinical targets that have advanced from discovery through to clinical development and approval,” said Dr. Dolsten. “I am confident that Dr. Cheng’s extensive experience growing industry-leading, end-to-end R&D organizations will further advance our efforts to become a leading rare disease research company that delivers the most promising therapies to patients in need."