LAVAL, Quebec—Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) announced that chairman and chief executive officer J. Michael Pearson will be on a medical leave of absence, effective immediately.

Valeant’s board of directors created an office of the chief executive officer which includes Robert Chai-Onn, executive vice president and general counsel, Dr. Ari Kellen, executive vice president and company group chairman, and Robert Rosiello, executive vice president and chief financial officer, to serve in an interim capacity.

Additionally, the board of directors created a committee to oversee and support the Office of the CEO and will include Robert A. Ingram, lead independent director, G. Mason Morfit, president, ValueAct Capital, and Howard B. Schiller, former CFO for Valeant.