TIDMVRP 
 
Verona Pharma plc 
 
                      ("Verona Pharma" or the "Company") 
 
  Appointment of Dr David Ebsworth as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of 
                                   Directors 
 
24 November 2014, Cardiff - Verona Pharma plc (AIM: VRP.L), the drug 
development company focused on first-in-class medicines to treat respiratory 
diseases, today announces the appointment of David Ebsworth, PhD, as 
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors with effect from 1 December 
2014, succeeding Professor Clive Page who has held the role since founding the 
Company in 2006. 
 
Dr. David Raymond Ebsworth, aged 60, is an experienced pharmaceutical executive 
who has worked at Board and Senior Management level at a number of companies 
internationally. He has extensive experience of product development and life 
cycle management and has been involved in successful product approvals in the 
US and Europe. From October 2009 to August 2014, Dr Ebsworth served as Chief 
Executive Officer (CEO) of Vifor Pharma, based in Zürich, the Specialty Pharma 
division of Galenica AG Group, the leading pharmaceutical wholesaler and 
retailer in Switzerland. Dr Ebsworth was also named as CEO of Galenica AG in 
2011. He continues as advisor to the CEO of Vifor Pharma and Galenica Santé, 
the two companies which are preparing to separate out of the Galenica Group as 
announced in August 2014. During his tenure with the Galenica Group, its value 
increased from CHF 2.4 billion to CHF 5.6 billion, with, most notably, two FDA 
approvals and one EMA approval. 
 
Dr Jan-Anders Karlsson, the CEO of Verona Pharma, said, "As well as being the 
founder of Verona Pharma, Clive has made an enormous contribution to the 
Company over the years, with his extensive knowledge of respiratory medicines 
and international reputation in the field. We thank him for all his 
achievements, as we welcome David to the Board. David's significant expertise 
in the pharma industry strongly supports Verona Pharma's focus on high value 
commercial opportunities and future growth." 
 
Dr Ebsworth commented, "I am looking forward to working closely with Verona 
Pharma's Board and Management to guide the Company towards success. I shall use 
my background and experience in both international pharma and biotech to 
support this innovative company within the hugely rewarding respiratory space." 
 
Dr Ebsworth's career spans over 35 years in the global pharmaceutical industry, 
largely with Bayer AG covering senior management roles in Leverkusen, Germany, 
the US and Canada. Aside from Bayer, where he worked for over 19 years having 
joined as a product manager in 1983, Dr Ebsworth spent two years as Chairman of 
A&D Pharma-Holdings NV in Bucharest, Romania. He also served as Chief Executive 
Officer of Oxford Glycosciences (OGS), a biotech company listed on the LSE and 
NASDAQ stock exchanges, which was acquired by Celltech plc (now part of UCB) in 
2003. OGS was the world leader in proteomics and had development compounds for 
Gaucher's disease and cancer. Dr Ebsworth has served on a number of Boards 
within the pharma, biotech and venture capital sectors, in the UK, Germany, the 
US, Austria, Italy, Israel, Netherlands, and Japan 
 
During the past five years Dr Ebsworth has held directorships at Xention Ltd, 
Wilex AG and Intercell AG. Save as disclosed in this announcement there are no 
further disclosures required under Rule 17 or Schedule 2 (g) of the AIM Rules 
for Companies. 
 
                                    -Ends- 
 
For further information please contact: 
 
Verona Pharma plc                       Tel: +44 (0) 20 7863 3300 
Jan-Anders Karlsson, CEO 
 
N+1 Singer                              Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000 
Aubrey Powell / Jen Boorer 
 
FTI Consulting                          Tel: +44 (0)20 3727 1000 
Julia Phillips / Simon Conway 
 
Notes to Editors 
 
About Verona Pharma plc 
 
Verona Pharma plc is a UK-based clinical stage biopharmaceutical company 
focused on the development of innovative prescription medicines to treat 
respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs, such as COPD, asthma 
and cystic fibrosis. Verona Pharma's lead drug, RPL554, is a first-in-class 
drug currently in Phase II trials as a nebulised treatment for acute 
exacerbations of COPD in the hospital setting. The drug is a dual 
phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3/4 inhibitor and therefore has both bronchodilator and 
anti-inflammatory effects, which are essential to the improvement of patients 
with COPD and asthma. Verona Pharma is also building a broader franchise around 
RPL554 to maximise its value, both to patients and to investors. This includes 
the very significant markets for COPD and asthma maintenance therapy. The 
Company is also exploring the potential of the drug in different diseases, such 
as cystic fibrosis, where it is in pre-clinical testing and has recently 
received a Venture and Innovation Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. 
 
 
 
END
Verona Pharma (LSE:VRP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Verona Pharma Charts.
Verona Pharma (LSE:VRP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Verona Pharma Charts.