When Actavis CEO Paul Bisaro announced
his big buyout of Forest Laboratories, he sketched a picture of a brand-plus-generic powerhouse with lower
costs and bigger revenue prospects. Now, it will be Forest CEO Brent Saunders who colors
in those lines as chief executive of the merged company.
That doesn't mean Bisaro won't
have significant power; he'll be executive chairman, a newly created post.
Saunders, who joined Forest in September after selling Bausch & Lomb to Valeant
Pharmaceuticals , is set to take the day-to-day reins as CEO and president. Actavis and Forest vets alike will fill out the executive team.
That team will have a big job
ahead in integrating Actavis and Forest, one a generics leader, the other a
mid-sized brand player with lots of generic competition and several new meds to
pump up to size.