Changing Faces: Boards of Directors appointments for August 2024
Welcome to the second edition of the new Changing Faces Board round-up. The pharmaceutical sector saw a wave of significant board appointments this month as always, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to companies across the industry.
Lykos shakes up Board after FDA rejection. If you’re a pharmaphorum reader, you’re probably following the Lykos Therapeutics saga, in which their board change-up is just a footnote. But in case you missed it, founder Rick Doblin, a psychedelic therapy proponent and activist, stepped down from the Board and the company welcomed in pharma industry veteran and former Johnson & Johnson executive Dr David Hough as a senior medical advisor. Full story here.
Three firms announce new chairs. A few of this month’s Board appointments go straight to the top.
- Arctoris, a technology-enabled drug discovery services company headquartered in Oxford, UK, and Boston, USA, appointed Ian Shott as Chair of the Board. Shott's extensive experience includes leadership positions at ICI, AstraZeneca, Lonza, ChiRex, and Rhodia. He also previously founded another CRO, Arcinova.
- BioConnection, a Dutch CDMO focusing on injectable products, welcomed Dr Gary M. Phillips as chairman of the supervisory board. Dr Phillips, the former CEO of OrphoMed, brings 30 years of pharma experience, including positions at Bausch & Lomb, Merck, Novartis, and Wyeth.
- neurocare group, a German tech company developing a digital platform for mental healthcare, named Tristan de Boysson as chairman of its supervisory board. De Boysson is managing partner at TVM Capital Healthcare, a healthcare-focused private equity firm headquartered in Dubai and Singapore.
AI drug developer adds high-profile advisor. BioPhy, an AI-powered drug development company, added famous trader Guy Adami to its Advisory Board. Adami, an original investment strategist for CNBC's Fast Money, has also worked at Private Advisor Group and Goldman Sachs.
Two biotechs tap AZ vets for Boards. Seaport Therapeutics, a PureTech spinout working on novel neuropsychiatric medicines, welcomed Dr David Wheadon to its Board of Directors. Wheadon previously led regulatory affairs at AstraZeneca and has held positions at Abbott, GSK, and Lily over his long career. Meanwhile, AAX Biotech, a Swedish start-up exploring next-generation antibody therapeutics, appointed Patrik Strömberg to its Board of Directors. Strömberg, currently CEO of AnaCardio, brings experience from AstraZeneca and Biovitrium/Sobi.
Three more notable appointments. Several other firms added some big names to their Boards in August.
- Vaxess, a medical device company in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on novel home-based delivery mechanisms for vaccines, added Peter Kolchinsky to its Board of Directors. Kolchinsky is a seasoned pharma investor and the author of The Great American Drug Deal and The Entrepreneur's Guide to a Biotech Startup.
- In the agency sector, minds + assembly, an NYC full-service pharma commercialisation partner, appointed Fabio Gratton to its Board of Directors in an advisory capacity. Gratton is a serial entrepreneur whose start-ups include Ignite Health, SONIC Health, CureClick, and inVibe Labs.
- PureTech Health, a clinical-stage biopharma company with a large pipeline both internally and through its spinout companies, welcomed Michele Holcomb to its Board of Directors. Holcomb brings 30 years of experience as a scientist, consultant, and executive across the healthcare ecosystem.
That’s it for this edition of Changing Faces. Don’t forget that Board appointments are now in their own separate edition. Remember, if you’ve had a recent appointment and you work in or around the pharma space, we want to hear about it. Please send your press releases to editorial@pharmaphorum.com to be included in future editions of Changing Faces.
