TIDMROQ
RNS Number : 6697Z
Roquefort Therapeutics PLC
16 September 2022
16 September 2022
Roquefort Therapeutics plc
("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")
Board and Management Appointments
Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ,OTCQB:ROQAF), the Main Market
listed biotech company focused on developing first in class drugs
in the high value and high growth oncology segment , is pleased to
announce that further to the completion of its acquisition of the
entire issued share capital of Oncogeni Limited ("Oncogeni") as
announced earlier today the following board appointments:
-- Trevor Ajanthan (Ajan) Reginald as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer;
-- Professor Sir Martin Evans as Executive Director and Group Chief Scientific Officer; and
-- Dr Darrin Disley as Non-Executive Director.
In addition, Roquefort Therapeutics is pleased to announce the
appointment of Professor Armand Keating FRCPC, MD as an independent
Chief Medical Advisor (as a non-board position).
Further, as previously announced, Mark Freeman has today
resigned as a Non-Executive director of the Company.
Commenting on the appointments, Stephen West, Executive
Chairman, said:
"I would like to welcome Ajan Reginald, Professor Sir Martin
Evans and Dr Darrin Disley to the Board of Roquefort Therapeutics,
and Professor Armand Keating as our new Chief Medical Officer. We
are building a world class team with a proven track record in drug
development who will help drive innovation and ultimately value in
our exciting portfolio of oncology drugs. Sir Martin Evans is a
pioneer in stem cells and DNA research and his experience will be
incredibly valuable as Group Chief Scientific Officer throughout
our preclinical studies. Ajan Reginald's experience in
commercialisation both within big pharma and in biotech will be
invaluable as CEO as we look to achieve value in this high growth
segment of life sciences. Dr Darrin Disley is a great addition as
Non-Executive Director, and his expertise in fundraising and value
creation is incredibly complementary to our existing Board of
Directors. Professor Keating is a renowned expert in anti-cancer
cell therapy, a key area of Roquefort Therapeutics' research and is
a welcome addition as Chief Medical Officer. Finally, I would like
to thank Mark Freeman for his valuable contribution since joining
the Board of the Company in October 2021, and we wish Mark all the
best with his other endeavours."
Commenting on his appointment, Roquefort Therapeutics CEO Ajan
Reginald said: "I am very excited to be appointed as CEO of
Roquefort Therapeutics. The acquisition of Oncogeni by Roquefort
Therapeutics creates a material cancer biotech company with a
portfolio of four innovative pre-clinical programs, which provides
stakeholders with great upside potential. We believe we can realise
value for shareholders in a number of ways, including our internal
drug development, licensing deals or via an outright sale of the
clinical program. I look forward to working with the combined
Oncogeni and Roquefort Therapeutics teams to progress these
programs over the coming months."
FURTHER DETAILS ON APPOINTMENTS:
Ajan Reginald, Chief Executive Officer
Ajan is an experienced biotechnology CEO with a track record in
drug development, biotech transactions and commercialisation. Over
20 years, he has served as the Global Head of Emerging Technologies
for Roche Group (SWX: ROG), Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Technology Officer of Novacyt S.A (LON: NCYT) and CEO of Celixir
Ltd.
With Prof. Sir Martin Evans, Ajan founded Celixir PLC, and
developed a novel cardiac cellular medicine which completed
pre-clinical development and won FDA, MHRA and EU regulatory trial
approvals. Celixir completed a licensing deal for its lead program
in the Japanese market with Daiichi Sankyo, a Japanese
pharmaceutical company which included a GBP12.5M upfront payment
and a GBP5M equity investment which valued Celixir at GBP220
million.
Ajan is a graduate of the University of Oxford (MSc Experimental
Therapeutics), Kellogg Business School (MBA) Northwestern
University and University of London (BDS). He is also a recipient
of the Fulbright Scholarship and an alumni of Harvard Business
School (AMP), and has represented England at the Hockey Masters
World Cup and European Championships.
The following information is disclosed in relation to Trevor
Ajanthan (Ajan) Reginald, aged 50:
Current directorships and/or Former directorships and/or partnerships
partnerships: (within the last five years):
Celixir Limited Cell Therapy Tendoncel Limited
Celixir Innovations Limited Cell Therapy Diabetes Limited
Oncogeni Ltd Cell Therapy Skincel Limited
Orthogeni Ltd Heartcel CABG Limited
Desktop Genetics Ltd Innately Limited
SIRNA Limited Kardiacare Limited
Cell Therapy Limited Lifescitech Limited
Myocardion Ltd
Cell Therapy Oncology Limited
Bioreactor Corporation Limited
-----------------------------------------
Professor Sir Martin Evans, Nobel Laureate, Group Chief
Scientific Officer
Sir Martin was the first scientist to identify embryonic stem
cells, which can be adapted for a wide variety of medical purposes.
His discoveries are now being applied in virtually all areas of
biomedicine - from basic research to the development of new
therapies. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine,
the most prestigious honour in world science, for these
"ground-breaking discoveries concerning embryonic stem cells and
DNA recombination in mammals."
Sir Martin has published more than 120 scientific papers. He was
elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1993 and is a founder
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was awarded the
Walter Cottman Fellowship and the William Bate Hardy Prizes in 2003
and in 2001 was awarded the Albert Lasker Medal for Basic Medical
Research in the US. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate
from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, regarded as one of
the world's foremost centres for medical and scientific training.
He has also received honorary doctorate awards from the University
of Bath, University of Buckinghamshire, University College London,
University of Wales and the University of Athens. Sir Martin gained
his BA in Biochemistry from Christ College, University of Cambridge
in 1963. He received an MA in 1966 and a DSc in 1966. In 1969 he
was awarded a PhD from University College, London. He joined the
Cardiff University School of Biosciences in 1999. He was knighted
in 2004 for his services to medical science and in 2009 was awarded
the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine in recognition of
his valuable contribution to medicine. In 2009 he also received the
Baly Medal from the Royal College of Physicians and the Copley
Medal, the Royal Society's oldest award, joining an eminent list of
previous recipients including Albert Einstein.
The following information is disclosed in relation to Professor
Sir Martin Evans, aged 81:
Current directorships and/or Former directorships and/or partnerships
partnerships: (within the last five years):
Celixir Limited Cell Therapy Limited
Oncogeni Ltd MJIP Ltd
Sun Force Ltd Moyclare Limited
-----------------------------------------
Dr Darrin M Disley, Non-Executive Director
Darrin is a renowned scientist, entrepreneur, angel investor and
enterprise champion who has started, grown, or invested in over 40
start-up life science, technology and social enterprises, raising
US$600 million in business financing and closing US$700 million in
commercial deals. He was CEO of Horizon Discovery Group plc for 11
years, during which he led the company from start-up through a
US$113 million IPO, and rapid scale-up powered by multiple
acquisitions of US peer companies to become a global market leader
in gene editing and gene modulation technologies. He was awarded a
lifetime Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2016 for his
work in promoting enterprise across the UK and appointed OBE in
2018 for his services to business and enterprise in the healthcare
sector.
The following information is disclosed in relation to Dr Darrin
Disley, aged 55:
Current directorships and/or Former directorships and/or partnerships
partnerships: (within the last five years):
Mogrify Limited Horizon Discovery Group Limited
Celixir Limited Horizon Discovery Limited
Oncogeni Ltd Horizon Discovery Biosciences
Odyssey Technical Consulting Limited
Services Limited Horizon Diagnostics Limited
Avvinity Therapeutics Limited
Bioindustry Association
Synthetx Limited
Geospock Limited
Cambridge Science Centre
Dharmacon Inc
CombinatoRx
Sage Labs Inc
-----------------------------------------
Professor Armand Keating FRCPC, MD, Independent Chief Medical
Advisor
Armand is an internationally recognised leader in blood and
marrow transplantation and cell therapy. He is a Professor of
Medicine and of Biomedical Engineering at the University of
Toronto. He is a past President of the American Society of
Hematology and a past President of the American Society for Blood
and Marrow Transplantation. He has served in a number of advisory
roles at the US National Institutes of Health and more recently for
the New Organ Alliance and NASA. He held the position of Chief,
Medical Services at Princess Margaret Hospital for a decade and was
the Division Director of Hematology at the University of Toronto.
His research and clinical interests focus on cell-based tissue
regeneration, anti-cancer cell therapy, and blood and marrow
transplantation. He has conducted laboratory, translational and
clinical research in these areas, particularly on the biology and
clinical application of mesenchymal stromal cells and NK cells.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of the UK version of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 which
is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018, as amended ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement
via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is
now considered to be in the public domain.
-Ends-
Enquiries:
Roquefort Therapeutics plc
Stephen West (Chairman) / Ajan +44 (0)20 3290
Reginald (CEO) 9339
Hybridan LLP (Joint Broker)
Claire Louise Noyce
Optiva Securities Limited (Joint +44 (0)203 764
Broker) 2341
+44 (0)20 3411
Christian Dennis 1881
Buchanan (Public Relations)
Ben Romney / Jamie Hooper / George +44 (0)20 7466
Beale 5000
LEI: 254900P4SISIWOR9RH34
About Roquefort Therapeutics
Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF) is a Main Market
listed biotech company developing first in class drugs in the high
value and high growth oncology segment prior to partnering or
selling to big pharma.
Since listing in March 2021, Roquefort Therapeutics has
successfully acquired Lyramid Pty Limited, a leader in the
development of medicines for a new therapeutic target, Midkine (a
human growth factor associated with cancer progression), and most
recently acquired Oncogeni Ltd, founded by Nobel Laureate Professor
Sir Martin Evans, which has developed two families of innovative
cell and RNA oncology medicines.
Roquefort Therapeutics' portfolio consists of four fully funded,
novel patent-protected pre-clinical anti-cancer medicines. The
highly complementary profile of four best-in-class medicines
consists of:
-- Midkine antibodies with significant in vivo efficacy and toxicology studies;
-- Midkine RNA therapeutics with novel anti-cancer gene editing action;
-- MK cell therapy with direct and NK-mediated anti-cancer action; and
-- siRNA targeting novel STAT-6 target in solid tumours showing significant in vivo efficacy.
For further information on Roquefort Therapeutics, please visit
www.roquefortplc.com and @RoquefortTherap on Twitter.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms
and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information
contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an
anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services.
For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange
use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy
Policy.
END
BOASFSFMIEESEDU
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 16, 2022 02:01 ET (06:01 GMT)
Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2024 to Jun 2024
Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2023 to Jun 2024