Directorate Change

RNS Number : 9061Z

Destiny Pharma PLC

06 September 2018

 

Destiny Pharma plc

("Destiny Pharma" or "the Company")

Directorate Change

New Chairman Appointment

Brighton, United Kingdom - 6 September 2018 - Destiny Pharma (AIM: DEST), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel antimicrobial drugs, which address the global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), announces that Sir Nigel Rudd is stepping down as Chairman and a member of the Board after serving eight years and having made his first investment in the Company in 2003.

Nick Rodgers, Non-Executive Director of Destiny Pharma, will become Chairman following Sir Nigel's departure on 31 December 2018. Nick has considerable Board experience in both public and private growth companies, particularly those in the life science sector, as well as a background as a successful corporate financier and investment banker. Nick is currently Chairman of SEHTA, one of the largest health technology networking organisations in the UK. Prior to this, he was Non-Executive Director and then Chairman of Oxford Biomedica plc, a leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company.

Sir Nigel Rudd, Chairman of Destiny Pharma, commented:

"It has been a privilege to be part of Destiny Pharma for the past 15 years. During this time, the Company has experienced transformative growth underpinned by the discovery of the XF drug platform which has the potential to address the global issue of antimicrobial resistance. I am confident in the outlook of the business, with a strong management team in place to deliver against the Company's strategic goals."

Neil Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Destiny Pharma, added:

"On behalf of Destiny Pharma, I would like to thank Sir Nigel for his considerable contribution to the Company which has grown significantly as a result of his extensive experience, specialised industry knowledge and track record of developing early stage companies. We wish Sir Nigel all the very best for the future. On behalf of Destiny Pharma, I also welcome Nick as Chairman and look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we advance our XF-drug platform through clinical development."

For further information, please contact:

Destiny Pharma plc

Neil Clark, CEO

Simon Sacerdoti, CFO

[e-mail]

[phone]

FTI Consulting

Simon Conway / Victoria Foster Mitchell

[e-mail]

[phone]

Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)

Philip Davies / Will Goode, Corporate Finance

Andrew Keith, Healthcare Equity Sales

[phone]

finnCap Ltd (Joint Broker)

Geoff Nash /Kate Bannatyne, Corporate Finance

Alice Lane, Corporate Broking

[phone]

About XF-73

XF-73 is a synthetic anti-microbial active against all tested Staphylococcus aureus strains, including drug resistant strains. By acting via a cell-surface mechanism it affects the bacterial membrane permeability and integrity, leading to cell death. XF-73 has already been through five successful Phase I/IIb clinical trials showing rapid antibacterial action.

XF-73 is indicated for the prevention of post-surgical staphylococcal infections. In the US, there are approximately 40 million surgeries per annum alone where the patient is at risk of a post-surgical infection. However, within this large population there are particular groups who are at an even higher risk of infection due to the nature of their surgery or the procedures and/or their specific hospital environment in which they are treated. These higher risk surgical procedures include cardiovascular, orthopaedic and other complex surgeries. Destiny Pharma estimates that this totals approximately 14 million US surgeries per year, with this figure set to rise within the context of an ageing population.

About Destiny Pharma

Destiny Pharma is an established, clinical stage, innovative biotechnology company focused on the development of novel medicines that represent a new approach to the treatment of infectious disease. These potential new medicines are being developed to address the need for new drugs for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as "superbugs". Tackling anti-microbial resistance has become a global imperative recognised by the WHO and the United Nations, as well as the G7 and the G20 countries. For further information, please visit https://www.destinypharma.com 

 

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