UPDATE 1-Teva N. America CEO resigns, moves to Cardinal

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TEL AVIV, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (TEVA.TA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Thursday that George Barrett, chief executive of Teva North America, has resigned and will be replaced by William Marth.

Marth is currently president and CEO of Teva USA and will assume the additional role of CEO of Teva North America, effective immediately.

Barrett, who is leaving to become vice chairman of Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health (CAH.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and CEO of its health-care supply chain services sector, will remain with Teva until the end of January to assist in the transition, the world's largest generic drugmaker said in a statement.

Barrett has served as corporate executive vice president of Teva's Global Pharmaceutical Markets since January 2007 and as CEO of Teva North America since January 2005. He was president and CEO of Teva USA from 1999 to 2004. Barrett will report directly to Cardinal CEO R. Kerry Clark in his new position.

Marth, 53, has run the U.S. generics business where he has handled much of the commercial activities since 2002 and has been president and CEO of Teva USA since 2005.

He has overseen a number of significant product launches, notably the December launch of generic Protonix, and two of the largest launches in the history of U.S. generics -- Simvastatin and Pravastatin in 2006.

"With Bill's deep industry experience, training and institutional knowledge of Teva, I am confident that he will continue to lead us to growth in this critical region," Teva's President and CEO Shlomo Yanai said.