20 April 2022

Roquefort Therapeutics plc

("Roquefort Therapeutics" or the "Company")

Non-Executive Director Appointment

Significant Clinical Trial Expertise

Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ), the Main Market listed biotech company focused on early-stage opportunities in the biotechnology sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Simon Sinclair as a Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.  Dr Sinclair is a commercial physician scientist leader with 20 years' pharma, medtech and consumer healthcare industry experience in translational medicine, clinical development, medical affairs, evidence-based market access, medical safety, vigilance and real-world evidence in both executive and non-executive roles.

During his career, Dr Sinclair has held senior roles at Johnson and Johnson and Merck & Co.  At Johnson and Johnson, Dr Sinclair held the role of VP Medical Affairs (CMO) EMEA where he created an integrated Medical Affairs function for Johnson and Johnson Medical Devices across EMEA, a $6bn segment of the business.  Prior to that he served as International Clinical Director and WW VP Medical Affairs where he set up and led the Medical Affairs function globally for DePuy Synthes (part of Johnson and Johnson) Joint Reconstruction. He was also responsible for DePuy Orthopaedics' non-US Clinical research strategy and execution. He guided new product development, registration and post-market strategies from a Clinical Evidence perspective. He also oversaw the company's global Medical Safety product surveillance.

At Merck & Co, Dr Sinclair was Head of Global Trial Optimization, where he revolutionised Merck's approach to the conduct of its clinical trials globally.  He developed and installed a new strategy and process to oversee the execution of clinical development programmes from proof of concept onwards. This included ensuring the design of clinical studies was optimised for execution; the definition of geographical and temporal models for clinical programs and individual studies; the development and implementation of impactful patient recruitment and retention strategies; and risk assessment, mitigation and control during study conduct.  Dr Sinclair also served as Senior Director Clinical Research Operations, USA at Merck, where he led clinical research operations in several therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, ophthalmology, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, endocrinology, clinical pharmacology and experimental medicine.

Dr Sinclair is currently Chief Safety Officer of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc ("Reckitt") where he is responsible for guiding and evaluating the safety of all its products to protect its consumers, and for building and maintaining consumers' trust in Reckitt. Simon also holds the role of Executive Director and Chair at the Reckitt Global Hygeine Institute, where using a $25m seed fund from Reckitt, he created and established the new non-profit organisation.   Additionally, Dr Sinclair is a Non-Executive Board member of Ondine Biomedical Inc., an AIM listed life sciences company focused on photodisinfection-based therapies to prevent and treat a broad spectrum of infections, including those caused by drug-resistant pathogens.  He is also Non-Executive Director at Renovos Biologics Limited, an orthopaedic biotech company. 

Dr Sinclair is a renowned scientist with a PhD in neural transplantation from Cambridge University, medical degree and numerous publications in scientific journals throughout his career.

Stephen West, Roquefort Therapeutics Executive Chairman, commented:

"We are delighted to welcome Simon Sinclair to the Board of Roquefort Therapeutics, where his directly relevant expertise in driving clinical programmes will be of signficiant value to the Company. Simon has extensive experience in briging novel, safe and meaningful technologies and therapies to global healthcare systems and patients worldwide and I look forward to working him to drive our pre-clinical programmes forward to clinical trials and beyond."

Commenting on his appointment, Roquefort Therapeutics NED Simon Sinclair said:

"I am excited to join the Board of Roquefort Therapeutics. The science behind the Company's studies and therapeutic potential of Midkine really stood out to me and underpinned my decision to join the Board.  I look forward to working with the team on developing its preclinical drug programme in cancer and exploring further health benefits that inhibiting Midkine could potentially bring to patients."

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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 is focused on developing first in class Midkine inhibiting RNA therapeutics drugs for the treatment of cancer, chronic inflammation, 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 publications, Roquefort Therapeutics has identified the potential to exploit the broad therapeutic potential of Midkine for a number of clinical indications of significant unmet need. Roquefort Therapeutics holds the largest global IP portfolio on Midkine. The Midkine blocking drug development markets have significant global market potential (in the multi-billion dollars). Roquefort Therapeutics's pre-clinical programme is currently underway with an initial focus on cancer treatment aiming to improve immunotherapy responses.