McMurry-Heath has been CEO since June 2020

Michelle McMurry-Heath, two-year CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, is on leave, The Wall Street Journal reported, quoting a BIO spokesperson.

"The BIO CEO is currently on leave," the spokesperson told the newspaper, declining further comment. BIO did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CEO Update.

The Journal reported that it could not determine when McMurry-Heath was put on leave. Her last tweet related to association business was Oct. 6, after speaking at a conference in Philadelphia. A special board meeting is scheduled this week, the Journal reported.

McMurry-Heath, a molecular immunologist, joined BIO in June 2020, making her the group's third chief executive since its founding in 1993. She succeeded longtime CEO and former congressman Jim Greenwood. McMurry-Heath was previously vice president of external innovation and global leader for regulatory science at pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer goods manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.