14 February 2022

Roquefort Therapeutics plc

("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")

Appointment of Strategic & Scientific Advisor

Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ), the Main Market listed biotech company focused on early-stage opportunities in the biotechnology sector, is pleased to announce that Professor Trevor M. Jones CBE FMedSci, has been appointed as advisor to the Board with immediate effect.

Prof. Jones has had a distinguished career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry spanning over 45 years, having previously been main Board Director for Research & Development at The Wellcome Foundation (Wellcome plc), where he was responsible for the development of a number of significant products across several therapeutic areas attracting reimbursement, as well as OTC formulations.  Prof. Jones also served as a Non-Executive Director of Allergan Inc from 2004 to 2015 during which time the company made a number of key acquisitions.

During Prof. Jones career, he has served on the Boards of a number of other private and publicly listed companies and industry bodies across the UK, USA and Europe. In particular, he was a former Director General of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry where he directed all the activities related to UK pharmaceutical industry government relations on behalf of national and international pharmaceutical companies. For 12 years he was a member of The UK Government Regulatory Agency, The Medicines Commission and Chair of the UK Government Advisory Group on Genetics Research.  He was also a member of the Scientific Board of the EU Life Sciences Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).  More recently, Prof. Jones joined the Board of Ascension as a Non-Executive Director, helping advise the company on product development and its commercial activities related to haemophilia and osteoarthritis.  He also serves as an adviser to the UK Government on public health matters including COVID-19. 

Stephen West, Executive Chairman, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Trevor as an Advisor to Roquefort Therapeutics, where I think his experience will be invaluable to our team. Trevor's substantial expertise and track record in driving pre-clinical programmes and value creation in the biotech sector will help the Company navigate this exciting phase of its development, as we progress with Lyramid's pre-clinical programme."

Prof. Trevor Jones CBE FMedSci, Advisor, added:

"I am excited to join Roquefort Therapeutics and be involved in the promising and compelling work the Company has been doing since it acquired Lyramid last year. I am fascinated by the therapeutic potential of Midkine, which has the potential to meet a number of indications of unmet needs in significant addressable markets, including cancer, anti-inflammatory and autoimmune diseases."

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Enquiries:

For further information on Roquefort Therapeutics, please visit www.roquefortplc.com and @RoquefortTherap on Twitter.

LEI: ‎254900P4SISIWOR9RH34

About Roquefort Therapeutics

Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ) is a Main Market listed biotech company developing products through the pre-clinical phase prior to partnering or selling to big pharma.  The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Lyramid Pty Ltd ("LYRAMID"), is a pre-clinical biotech company focused on developing first in class Midkine inhibiting RNA therapeutics drugs for the treatment of cancer, chronic inflammatory, autoimmune disorder and COVID-19.  Recent progress within mRNA therapeutics has led to a reduction in drug development timelines and costs, increasing the chance of early value creation. 

Through extensive research resulting in validation through publication in over 1,000 scientific journals, LYRAMID has identified the potential to exploit the broad therapeutic potential of Midkine for a number of clinical indications of unmet needs. LYRAMID holds the largest global IP portfolio on Midkine. The Midkine blocking drug development markets have significant global market potential (in the multi-billion dollars). LYRAMID's pre-clinical programme is currently underway with an initial focus on cancer (including immunotherapy resistance.