Oxford Biomedica Appoints Frank Mathias as CEO

RNS Number : 1343H

Oxford Biomedica PLC

22 November 2022

 

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 (as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Oxford Biomedica Appoints Dr Frank Mathias as Chief Executive Officer

Oxford, UK - 22 November 2022: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) ("Oxford Biomedica" or "the Company"), a leading gene and cell therapy group, today announces the appointment of Dr Frank Mathias as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Director, effective March 2023.

Dr Mathias brings world-class innovation and contract development and manufacturing experience to Oxford Biomedica. Since 2016 he has served as CEO of Rentschler Biopharma SE ("Rentschler"), which he has successfully developed into a leading global, full-service CDMO. During the past six years, Dr Mathias has overseen a tripling of revenues, transformed the business, increased efficiencies and enhanced profitability even faster than revenues. At Rentschler, he also led the acquisition and rapid integration of a new site from Shire in Milford near Boston, US, and the establishment of a new gene therapies unit in Stevenage, UK. During his tenure, Rentschler was also the first CDMO in Europe to support the commercial production of the mRNA vaccine for BioNTech and also successfully transferred the commercial production process for Curevac's mRNA vaccine.

Prior to Rentschler, Dr Mathias was CEO of publicly listed Medigene AG, an immuno-oncology company focusing on the development of T-cell-based cancer therapies. Over the course of his 30-year career, Dr Mathias has also served in senior roles at leading global pharmaceutical companies including Amgen, Servier and Hoechst AG. In 2019 he was awarded the title of "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" in Germany.

Dr Roch Doliveux will remain as Interim CEO of Oxford Biomedica until March 2023, at which point Dr Mathias will fully take over the role of CEO and Dr Doliveux will resume the role of Non-Executive Chair.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr Roch Doliveux, Chair and Interim CEO of Oxford Biomedica, said: "I, on behalf of the Board, am delighted to welcome Frank as CEO of Oxford Biomedica. Frank is an outstanding patient centric leader with impressive experience from a top-end CDMO as well as from innovative biopharma companies. He has a strong track record of delivering growth and driving performance and innovation which are core strengths required to implement our strategy of becoming an innovative global viral vector leader. I know that Frank will drive our viral vector leadership to unleash the potential of cell and gene therapy for biopharma companies to save many lives. "

Dr Frank Mathias, incoming Chief Executive Officer, said: "Oxford Biomedica is a world-leader in the innovative development and manufacture of viral vectors for life-saving cell and gene therapies, demonstrated by the ever-expanding customer base of now more than 20 programmes across all vector types. With momentum continuing to build across the business, I am excited by the potential for the Company. I look forward to joining Oxford Biomedica and working with all of the staff, the Board and partners to execute the strategy and deliver the next phase of growth as a world-class, innovation-led CDMO helping to improve the lives of patients."

Relevant Disclosures

There are no disclosures required to be made in accordance with LR 9.6.13R.

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Enquiries: 

Oxford Biomedica plc:

Roch Doliveux, Chair and Interim CEO - T: [phone]

Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer - T: [phone]

Taylor Boyd, VP, Head of IR - T: [phone]

Sophia Bolhassan, VP, Corporate Affairs and IR - T: [phone]

Consilium Strategic Communications:

T: [phone] / E: [e-mail]

Mary-Jane Elliott / Matthew Cole  / Angela Gray

About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB) is an innovative leading viral vector specialist focused on delivering life changing therapies to patients.

Oxford Biomedica plc and its subsidiaries (the Group) work across key viral vector delivery systems including those based on lentivirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV) and adenovirus, providing innovative solutions to cell and gene therapy biotechnology and biopharma companies for their process development, analytical development and manufacturing needs. Oxford Biomedica has built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery system, LentiVector® platform, and is working on programmes from pre-clinical to commercial stage across a range of therapeutic areas with global partners.

Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations and headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK. In 2022, the Group established Oxford Biomedica Solutions, a US based subsidiary AAV manufacturing and innovation business, based near Boston, US.

Further information is available at www.oxb.com .

 

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