Vipin Garg. who lost his job as chief executive officer at Tranzyme Pharma when that company merged with another, has landed a new position.

On Tuesday, Neos Therapeutics said it had hired Garg to be its chief executive officer. Neos is based in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Garg succeds Alan Heller, who will remain the chairman of the Neos board.

“I am delighted to let you know that I have joined Neos Therapeutics, as Chief Executive Officer of the Neos,” Garg said in an email. 

Tranzyme merged with a California firm in April. 

Neos focuses on oral drug delivery technology. 

“I am excited to welcome Vipin to the Neos team,” Heller said. “He brings to us a wealth of strategic, scientific and industry experience. Vipin will work closely with the organization to obtain FDA approval of our existing pipeline, and expand the use of our proprietary controlled release technologies to create additional CR orally disintegrating tablets and CR liquids to bring to market.”

Garg led Tranzyme to an IPO in 2011.

“I am delighted to join Neos Therapeutics,” he said in a statement. “Neos has developed proprietary controlled release technologies. These technologies are being utilized to develop a pipeline of novel ADHD products which will advance significantly in the next 12-18 months. Building on the approval of a generic of Tussionex®, an extended release cough cold product developed utilizing the Neos technology and manufactured exclusively by Neos, the company is well positioned for growth. I look forward to working with the Neos team to expand the pipeline to additional opportunities including prescription, over-the-counter and veterinary products in a wide range of therapeutic areas.“

Tranzyme mereged with privately held San Diego company Ocera Therapeutics in an all stock deal that gave Ocera a public listing and Tranzyme a path forward after seeing its two lead compounds fail in clinical trials last year.

Upon closing, it will be called Ocera Therapeutics and will be led by Dr. Linda Grais, the current president and CEO of Ocera. Its headquarters will remain in San Diego. Tranzyme Chief Medical Officer Franck S. Rousseau will move to the new company but remain in Tranzyme’s existing Durham office. The board of directors will be comprised of representatives from both companies.