AMRI appoints new director of drug discovery services in Singapore

AMRI announced that Takeshi Yura, PhD, has been promoted to Senior Director of drug discovery services at its Singapore subsidiary.

In this expanded role, Dr Yura will assume overall responsibility of site management, which includes leadership of the AMRI Singapore Research Centre’s chemistry, biology and R&D operations. Dr Yura will be replacing Raymond Yeung, who served as Managing Director of the site since 2007.

Initially joining the Singapore subsidiary in January 2011 as assistant director of medicinal chemistry, Dr Yura brings more than 22 years of scientific and leadership experience in discovery chemistry, project management and business development. Prior to AMRI, he was a director at Dishman Japan Ltd, responsible for sales and business development activities. Before Dishman, he served as the discovery chemistry research head at Pfizer Japan, and section head of medicinal chemistry at Bayer Yakuhin. Dr Yura earned a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry, a MS and BS in chemistry at the University of Tokyo, and an MBA from the Temple University (Tokyo).

“We are pleased to announce the promotion of Dr Yura as the new senior director of drug discovery services at the AMRI Singapore Research Centre,” said Dr Bruce J Sargent, Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery. “Since joining us earlier this year, we have been impressed with the extent of scientific and business leadership he has brought to AMRI and look forward to the additional contributions he will bring to the company in this new role.”

“By bringing all of our technical functions at this location under Dr Yura’s leadership, we expect to further develop and define the AMRI Singapore Research Centre’s common sense of purpose and identity as it increases its delivery of integrated discovery services to our customers in Japan, Asia and throughout the world,” added AMRI Chairman, President and CEO Thomas E D’Ambra, PhD. “I want to thank Mr Yeung for his many contributions to AMRI Singapore and wish Dr Yura great success in his new role.”