Lexicon Pharma Appoints Lonnel Coats As CEO - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LXRX) announced the appointment of Lonnel Coats as president and chief executive officer or CEO effective July 7, 2014. Coats most recently served as president and chief executive officer of Eisai Inc., the United States subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd.

Commenting on Coats, the company said he joins Lexicon after 18 years of senior management experience with Eisai. As president and chief executive officer at Eisai, he oversaw the commercialization of Eisai products in the therapeutic areas of oncology, neurology, GI, epilepsy and metabolic.

Previously, as president and chief operating officer, Coats led the diversification of Eisai's business through over $5 billion in strategic acquisitions, licensing and partnerships, which included the acquisition of MGI Pharma in 2008 and the licensing of Belviq in 2011, Lexicon noted.