Novartis

Novartis AG has promoted two senior U.S. executives to head its U.S. drugs unit and overall U.S. operations. Ludwig Hantson, head of Novartis’ specialty medicines unit in the U.S., has been promoted to chief executive of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., the company’s North American drugs affiliate. He succeeds Alex Gorsky, who in February resigned to become chairman of the Ethicon surgical products division of Johnson & Johnson.
   
Mr. Hantson has previously run Novartis’ pharmaceutical operations in Canada and has been a senior company executive in Europe. Before joining the company in 2001, he spent 13 years as a senior executive for clinical development and marketing at the Jannsen pharmaceuticals unit of J&J.
   
Gary Rosenthal, chief financial officer of the company’s North American drugs unit, has been promoted to president and chief executive of Novartis Corp. He succeeds Paulo Costa, who plans to retire in late June.