Zealand Pharma Boosts Strategic Leadership In Obesity With The Appointment Of Steven Johnson As Chief Development Officer

Zealand Pharma A/S, a biotechnology company specializing in innovative peptide-based medicines, has announced the appointment of Steven Johnson as Chief Development Officer. Steven will join the executive team to lead the company’s regulatory and development strategies. His appointment, alongside Chief Medical Officer David Kendall and recently appointed Chief Scientific Officer Utpal Singh, strengthens Zealand Pharma’s focus on innovation in managing obesity and related conditions.

Steven brings nearly 30 years of experience in drug development and regulatory strategy within the pharmaceutical industry. He joins Zealand Pharma from UCB Biopharma, where he served as Senior Vice President and Head of Regulatory Stakeholders. In that role, he led late-phase clinical development, global regulatory affairs, biometrics, and operational excellence. Under his leadership, his teams secured global approvals for important therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. 

Adam Steensberg, Chief Executive Officer, Zealand Pharma, said in a statement, “Steven brings a unique 360-degree perspective on global drug development gained from a career at major pharma companies, CROs and the FDA. He joins Zealand at a key moment as we embark on the collaboration with Roche to co-develop and co-commercialize petrelintide as a foundational therapy for people with overweight and obesity. Together, Utpal, Steven and David form a robust, seamless leadership team across research, development and medical affairs as we strive to become a leader in the management of obesity and related complications.”

Steven Johnson, stated, “Zealand Pharma is committed to delivering transformative therapies that are created with the patient's experience in mind to support long-term health outcomes. I’m excited to work alongside this exceptional team aligning human centered innovation with world class science to develop new therapies that could redefine the standard of care for obesity and more.”

Before UCB, Steven held senior leadership positions at Medpace, Inc. and Novo Nordisk. He started his career at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a Master Reviewer in the Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products. Steven was a Geriatrics Fellow at Washington State University and holds a PharmD, a Bachelor of Pharmacy, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology, all from Washington State University.