Fortrea Expands Executive Team, Appointing Oren Cohen as Chief Medical Officer and Scott Dove as President of Clinical Pharmacology Services

Rhea-AI Summary

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) expanded its executive team on Feb 17, 2026: Oren Cohen, MD, shifts to a sole Chief Medical Officer role focused on medical strategy, scientific leadership, ethics and governance across Fortrea’s portfolio. Scott Dove, PhD joins as President of Clinical Pharmacology Services to lead early clinical development across Fortrea’s global clinics.

The move is positioned to deepen client scientific partnerships and accelerate early-phase development capabilities while keeping both executives on Fortrea’s Executive Committee.

Positive

• Dedicated CMO role strengthens medical strategy and ethics oversight
• Experienced CPS leader added: Scott Dove brings 25+ years in early development
• Deeper client engagement with earlier scientific dialogue across development

Negative

• Leadership concentration risk with critical responsibilities vested in two executives
• No financial metrics provided to quantify near-term impact on revenue or margins

Adds to executive focus on early clinical development and deepens medical and scientific partnership with clients

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (the “Company”), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), today announced it has expanded its executive team. Oren Cohen, MD who previously served as both Fortrea’s chief medical officer (CMO) and president of Clinical Pharmacology Services (CPS) is now dedicated to his CMO responsibilities, namely medical strategy, scientific leadership, ethics and governance oversight across Fortrea’s portfolio. Scott Dove, PhD joins Fortrea as its new president of CPS, responsible for Fortrea’s early clinical development solutions across its global network of clinical research units. Cohen and Dove both serve on Fortrea’s Executive Committee.

“The addition of Scott to the Fortrea team while Oren becomes fully dedicated to the medical and scientific aspects of development is a win for clients,” said Anshul Thakral, CEO. “Working closely with our business leaders across all phases of clinical development, Oren will deepen his relationships with clients. He’s engaging earlier in scientific dialogue and collaborating closely with our physicians and therapeutic leaders to help address complex development challenges, all while upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity and patient safety. Scott is making a fast start with our Clinical Pharmacology team and is getting a first-hand view of our world-class clinics. He combines a strong technical background in clinical development and operations with a successful track record of leadership in building and leading global organizations, and I’m looking forward to his insights on how we further strengthen our offering.”

Oren Cohen, MD Chief Medical Officer

Oren Cohen, MD is a veteran of drug development, bringing more than 20 years of experience in various medical and scientific executive leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to Fortrea, Dr. Cohen served as CMO and head of Clinical Pharmacology Services at Labcorp Drug Development. Previously, he was CMO at Viamet Pharmaceuticals and served in several senior medical and operational leadership positions at Quintiles, now part of IQVIA.

Dr. Cohen received his MD from Duke University and served his internship and residency at The New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He completed his fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he stayed as a Principal Investigator and served as the institute's assistant director for medical affairs. He is a Consulting Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, a member of the Board of Visitors for Duke University School of Medicine and a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Scott Dove, PhD President Clinical Pharmacology Services

Scott Dove, PhD brings more than 25 years of drug development experience to Fortrea, serving in roles of increasing responsibility at pharma, biotech and CRO companies. Most recently, he has served as an advisor to a variety of companies, including Fortrea. Previously, Dr. Dove was chief operating officer at Aravive, leading R&D operations for a clinical stage, oncology-focused biotech. He also served in leadership roles at PPD for more than a decade, where he led early development services. Dr. Dove also held leadership roles at Allergan and Furiex Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Dove received his PhD from Texas A&M Health Science Center and earned his bachelor of science in biochemistry at Texas A&M University.

About Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology and consulting services. Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team working in about 100 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally. Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).                    

Fortrea Contacts:
Tracy Krumme (Investors) – 984-385-6707, Tracy.Krumme@fortrea.com
Sue Zaranek (Media) – 919-943-5422, media@fortrea.com
Kate Dillon (Media) – 646-818-9115, kdillon@prosek.com
          

FAQ

Who is the new Chief Medical Officer at Fortrea (FTRE) and what is his role?

Oren Cohen, MD is now solely Fortrea’s Chief Medical Officer responsible for medical strategy and governance. According to the company, he will deepen scientific collaboration with clients and oversee ethics, patient safety, and scientific leadership across Fortrea’s portfolio.

What will Scott Dove's responsibilities be as President of Clinical Pharmacology Services at FTRE?

Scott Dove, PhD will lead Fortrea’s Clinical Pharmacology Services and early clinical development operations globally. According to the company, he will manage the network of clinical research units and strengthen early-phase clinical capabilities and operational leadership.

When did Fortrea announce these executive appointments for FTRE?

Fortrea announced the appointments on February 17, 2026, effective immediately as company leadership changes. According to the company, both executives will serve on Fortrea’s Executive Committee to align strategy across clinical development functions.

How might Oren Cohen’s dedicated CMO role affect Fortrea’s client relationships (FTRE)?

Oren Cohen’s full-time CMO role is intended to deepen client scientific engagement and early dialogue. According to the company, this change aims to enhance medical governance, patient safety oversight, and collaborative problem-solving with clients.

What experience does Scott Dove bring to Fortrea’s Clinical Pharmacology Services (FTRE)?

Scott Dove brings more than 25 years of drug development experience, including leadership at PPD and Aravive. According to the company, he has a technical and operational track record in building global early-development organizations and advisory roles.