Board Change

RNS Number : 8066H

Oxford Biomedica PLC

15 March 2018

 

Board Change: Oxford BioMedica Appoints Heather Preston as Non-Executive Director

London, UK - 15 March 2018: Oxford BioMedica plc ("Oxford BioMedica" or "the Group") (LSE:OXB), a leading gene and cell therapy group, today announces the appointment of Dr. Heather Preston M.B.B Chir to the Group's Board as Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.

Dr. Preston is currently a Partner and Managing Director of TPG Biotech where she focuses on biotechnology venture capital investing. Prior to joining TPG Biotech in May 2005, she invested with J.P. Morgan Partners and New Enterprise Associates. She also spent five years at McKinsey & Co. in New York, where she was a member of the pharmaceutical and medical products consulting practice. She advised large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on critical strategic issues such as R&D portfolio prioritisation, M&A opportunities, new technology acquisitions, new product launches and product growth strategies.

Dr. Preston currently serves on the Board of Directors of Albireo, Inc (NASDAQ; ALBO), Alder BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ; ALDR) and Otonomy, Inc (NASDAQ; OTIC) and several private companies. She previously served on the Boards of Aptalis Pharma (acquired by Forest Labs in 2014), Elevation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Sunovion in 2012) and was responsible for overseeing TPG Biotech's investment in Par Pharmaceuticals, prior to its acquisition by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2015.

Dr. Preston has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of London and a medical degree from the University of Oxford. Dr Preston completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, and trained in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and sub-specialized in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UCSF. During her academic medical career, she was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, a Fulbright Cancer Research Scholarship, a Harlech Scholarship and a Science and Engineering Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship Award.

Commenting on the announcement, Lorenzo Tallarigo, Chairman of Oxford BioMedica, said: "I am delighted to welcome Heather to the Board of Oxford BioMedica. Heather has a proven track record of helping to grow life sciences companies in the US and Europe; as an advisor, investor and Board member. Her industry knowledge is directly aligned with Oxford BioMedica's strategy to take advantage of our leading position with lentiviral vectors, both with our partners and through our own in-house expertise.''

Commenting on her appointment, Dr. Heather Preston, said: "Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector Enabled technology makes the Group a leader in the delivery of gene and cell therapies. This has been clinically and commercially validated by partners including Novartis, Sanofi, Orchard Therapeutics and, most recently Bioverativ. I am excited by the prospects for the Group which is at the forefront of what is a gene and cell therapy revolution, and I look forward to working with the team."

On joining the Board Dr Preston will become a member of the Board's Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

From 15 March 2018, the composition of the Board of Oxford BioMedica is as follows:

·      Dr. Lorenzo Tallarigo, Non-Executive Chairman

·      John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer

·      Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer

·      Peter Nolan, Chief Business Officer

·      Andrew Heath, Independent Non-Executive Director

·      Stuart Henderson, Independent Non-Executive Director

·      Martin Diggle, Non-Executive Director

·      Heather Preston, Independent Non-Executive Director

There are no further details in respect of Dr. Heather Preston to be disclosed pursuant to LR 9.6.13 of the Listing Rules, FCA Handbook.

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc: John Dawson,  Chief Executive Officer Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer	Tel: [phone]
Financial and corporate communications enquiries: Consilium Strategic Communications Mary-Jane Elliott/Matthew Neal/Philippa Gardner/Laura Thornton	Tel: [phone]

Peel Hunt (Joint Corporate Brokers): James Steel Christopher Golden	Tel: [phone]
WG Partners (Joint Corporate Brokers): David Wilson Claes Spang	Tel: [phone]

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Group to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Notes for editors

About Oxford BioMedica

Oxford BioMedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases.  Oxford BioMedica and its subsidiaries (the "Group") have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector^®), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology and CNS disorders. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Bioverativ, Novartis, Sanofi, GSK, Orchard Therapeutics and Immune Design, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Oxford BioMedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 300 people. Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk.

 

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