month=01
year=2010
05 January 2010
For immediate release
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5 January 2010
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OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC
MANAGEMENT AND BOARD CHANGES
Oxford, UK – 5 January 2010: Oxford
BioMedica (LSE: OXB), a leading gene therapy company, today announces the
appointments of Dr Paul Blake and Dr Andrew Heath as independent Non-Executive Directors,
and the retirement from the Board of Mark Berninger. These changes became
effective on 1 January 2010. In addition, the management team was strengthened
by the appointment in November 2009 of Dr Adam Love
as Senior Director, Commercial Activities and Strategic Planning.
Paul Blake FCRP
Paul Blake has over 30 years international
pharmaceutical/biotech experience, and is currently Senior Vice President and
Chief Medical Officer of Æterna Zentaris Inc., a global biopharmaceutical
company focused on oncology and endrocrine therapy. From 2001 to 2006, he held
senior management positions at Cephalon Inc, including Executive Vice
President, Worldwide Medical & Regulatory Operations from 2005. Dr Blake’s
previous positions include Senior Vice President and Medical Director, Clinical
Research and Development at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. He gained his
medical degree from the London University, Royal Free Hospital.
Andrew
Heath MD, PhD
Andrew Heath is a healthcare and biopharmaceutical
executive with in-depth knowledge of US and UK capital markets and
international experience in marketing and sales, R & D and business
development. He was Chief Executive Officer of
Protherics plc from 1997 to 2008, taking the company from 30 to 350 staff and managing
its eventual acquisition by BTG for £220 million. Prior to this, Dr Heath was President
and Chief Executive Officer of Aerogen Inc, and
previously held senior positions at Astra AB and Astra USA, including Vice
President Marketing & Sales, and at Glaxo Sweden as Associate Medical
Director. He is currently a non-executive director of XL TechGroup Inc, Anew Inc,
Pioneer Technology Inc, and is a director of the BioIndustry Association.
Paul
Blake has joined Oxford BioMedica’s Remuneration Committee
and Andrew Heath has joined the Audit Committee. There is no
further information in respect of these two appointments which is required to
be disclosed pursuant to LR 9.6.13R.
Mark
Berninger
Mark Berninger is stepping down from
the Board of Oxford BioMedica, having served as an independent Non-Executive Director
since February 1999. Over this period, he has made a significant contribution
to the Company, based on his extensive experience of the US biotechnology industry,
including Genetic Therapy Inc, where he served as Vice President of Business
Development. The Board of Oxford BioMedica would like to thank Mark for his dedication
and commitment to the Company.
Adam Love MBBCh MBA
Adam Love has experience in
clinical development, medical affairs and business development from various
roles within the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, he has held the position
of medical director at Cephalon and Archimedes Pharma; and as business
development director at Norgine and Cephalon, where he worked on the
acquisition of Zeneus Pharma. He gained his medical degree from the University
of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
and his MBA with distinction from the University of Durham.
Oxford BioMedica’s Chairman, Professor Alan Kingsman, commented: “I am
delighted to welcome two such distinguished and experienced new directors to
the Board of Oxford
BioMedica, and to have further strengthened the management team with the
appointment of Adam Love. These
appointments have strengthened the Board and management of the Company at a
critical and exciting time. I would also like to record my sincere thanks to
Mark Berninger for his dedicated service to the company over the last ten
years.”
-Ends-
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For further information, please contact:
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Oxford BioMedica plc:
John Dawson, Chief
Executive Officer
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Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000
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JPMorgan Cazenove Limited:
James Mitford/ Gina Gibson
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7588 2828
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Media/Financial Enquiries:
Lisa Baderoon/ Mark
Court
Buchanan Communications
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000
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US Enquiries:
Thomas Fechtner
The Trout Group LLC
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Tel: (646) 378 2900
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Notes to editors
1. Oxford BioMedica
Oxford
BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative
gene-based medicines and therapeutic vaccines that aim to improve the lives of
patients with high unmet medical needs. The Company’s technology platform
includes a highly efficient gene delivery system (LentiVector®),
which has specific advantages for targeting diseases of the central nervous
system and the eye; and a unique tumour antigen (5T4), which is an ideal target
for anti-cancer therapy. Through in-house and collaborative research, Oxford
BioMedica has a broad pipeline and its partners include sanofi-aventis,
Sigma-Aldrich and Pfizer (formerly Wyeth). Technology licensees include Biogen
Idec, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co and Pfizer. Further information is
available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk