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Sean P. Curtis, M.D., M.P.H

Senior vice president, global regulatory affairs & clinical safety

"We work with local health authorities to serve patients by getting and keeping access to critical and medically necessary treatments. We support both Merck’s innovative and established products and embed quality beyond compliance into everything we do."

Years at Merck Research Laboratories

27

Sean Curtis is senior vice president and head of global regulatory affairs & clinical safety. In this role, Curtis and his team are responsible for driving innovative regulatory and safety strategies to enable rapid and efficient licensure pathways and maintain product registration.

Since joining Merck in 1997 in the department of clinical pharmacology, Curtis previously held positions of increasing responsibility in global clinical development, leading to his appointment as late-stage clinical therapeutic area head for respiratory and immunology. Curtis also previously led the global center for scientific affairs, the China development organization and the EU clinical development group at Merck.

Currently, Curtis is serving as an ad-hoc representative to the ICH Assembly for PhRMA and as vice-chair of the Charles Forum. He also co-chairs the MRL diversity, equity & inclusion governance committee and is a proud executive sponsor of both the New Jersey chapter of Merck’s League of Employees of African Descent employee business resource group (EBRG) and the Pennsylvania chapter of Merck’s Latino-Hispano community EBRG, Alianza. In 2023, he became a member of the Year Up national advisory board.

Curtis received his medical degree and M.P.H. from Tufts University. He completed his internship and medical residency at the University of Colorado, followed by a post-doctoral training and research fellowship in the division of infectious diseases at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.