Cumberland Pharmaceuticals has hired pharmaceutical industry veteran Tan Cheow Choon to be director of international business.

Based in Singapore, Choon will be responsible for executing Cumberland’s initiative to expand markets for its products across Asia, including establishing, building and managing Cumberland’s presence there.

Choon joins Cumberland after 17 years of pharmaceutical management. Most recently, he served as VP of Southeast Asia for global pharma firm Hospira, which focuses on hospital injectables, where he managed a team of 120 people operating in more than 10 countries. He joined Hospira with its 2007 acquisition of Mayne Pharma SEA Pte Ltd. (the former Faulding Pharmaceuticals) and worked to integrated the two companies across Asian markets.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Choon’s extensive experience in Asian pharmaceutical markets agree to lead Cumberland’s efforts to expand our presence in Asia,” said Cumberland CEO A.J. Kazimi. “His expertise in growing acute-care injectable pharmaceuticals coupled with his broad-based knowledge of the Asian hospital market will be integral to establishing the infrastructure necessary to bring our products to this important patient population.”

In addition, Cumberland said its partner DB Pharma Korea Co. Ltd. has submitted its application for regulatory approval of Caldolor Injection in South Korea, the first such submission in Asia.