Pharmasset Appoints Patrick T. Higgins as Executive Vice President, Marketi...( PRINCETON N.J. Nov. 26 /- Pharmas...),Health

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pharmasset, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRUS) appointed Patrick T. Higgins as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, responsible for coordinating the global product launch and marketing activities for Pharmasset's drug candidates. Mr. Higgins, who has served as a consultant to Pharmasset since 2006, was recently Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Virology at Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. His areas of expertise include hepatology, HIV and cytomegalovirus for transplant patients. Mr. Higgins was responsible for directing the development and implementation of marketing and sales plans for Roche's US hepatology franchise, including the global launch of Pegasys(R) and Copegus(R) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection.

Mr. Higgins has over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry sales and marketing experience. Throughout his career, he has participated in a total of 13 product launches for antiviral, oncology, dermatologic and allergy indications. Prior to joining Roche, Mr. Higgins served in a variety of advertising, sales and marketing roles at Schering Corporation. He was instrumental in developing Schering's Oncology/Biotech group that launched Intron-A(R) (interferon alfa-2b) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis.

"I am delighted to join Pharmasset at this stage of its development," stated Mr. Higgins. "I see the same characteristics and potential in Pharmasset's science, drug candidates and people that I saw in both Roche and Schering prior to their successful product launches."

"Pharmasset intends to commercialize clevudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection," stated Schaefer Price, Pharmasset's President & CEO. "To accomplish this goal
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