Allergy Therapeutics plc
("Allergy Therapeutics" or the "Group")
Expansion of Clinical Development and R&D teams
- Key appointments reflect Group's commitment to EU and US strategy for product development -
11 September 2017 Allergy Therapeutics plc (AIM:AGY), the fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical group specialising in allergy vaccines, today announces new senior appointments and expansion of the R&D and clinical team in line with the Group's growth plans at the Group's UK headquarters in Worthing. These appointments are aimed at broadening the clinical development team in order to facilitate continued progress of the pipeline and clinical development programmes, in addition to continuing to prepare for US market entry.
The Group has underlined its commitment to clinical excellence by appointing Pieter-Jan de Kam as Clinical Director effective immediately. Pieter-Jan de Kam joins the Group from HAL Allergy in The Netherlands where he was responsible for clinical development, with recent successes including European and US studies for pollen and house dust mites. Prior to that, Pieter-Jan worked across Europe, in the US and in Singapore in various roles including Director of Clinical Research at Merck Sharp & Dohme.
In addition to the appointment of Pieter-Jan, the Group has recruited Simon Piggott as Head of Clinical Science. Simon will be responsible for the delivery of Allergy Therapeutics' robust clinical strategy to facilitate progression of the Group's broad pipeline and innovative technologies, working with both the established product development teams and clinical operations departments. Simon has significant experience including successful respiratory development programs through Phase I to IV having previously worked as Global Scientific Director at GSK and Associate Director at Quintiles and Vertex.
As part of the Group's continued investment in its R&D function, Tim Higenbottam has been appointed to the position of Senior Pharmaceutical Physician and will focus on the US regulatory process, a key part of the Group's three-pillar growth strategy. The R&D team which is led by Murray Skinner, Chief Scientific Officer, has doubled the size of its headcount since 2016.
Murray Skinner, Chief Scientific Officer of Allergy Therapeutics, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Pieter-Jan and Simon to the Allergy Therapeutics team. Their vast experience and expert knowledge is ideally focussed to promote continued innovation and help us bring new and convenient products for patients into the allergy immunotherapy market."
Pieter-Jan de Kam, new Clinical Director at Allergy Therapeutics, stated: "This is a company with a long history in allergen immunotherapy, an excellent pipeline of innovative allergy products and a focus on addressing the causes of allergy to help patients with their allergy. I am very excited to be able to join the Company at such a crucial time in its development and look forward to leading the clinical team to continued successes."
- ENDS -
For further information, please contact:
Allergy Therapeutics
+44 (0) 1903 845 820
Manuel Llobet, Chief Executive Officer
Nick Wykeman, Finance Director
Panmure Gordon
+44 (0) 20 7886 2500
Freddy Crossley / Duncan Monteith, Corporate Finance
Tom Salvesen, Corporate Broking
Consilium Strategic Communications
+44 20 3709 5700
Mary-Jane Elliott / Ivar Milligan / Philippa Gardner
[email protected]
Notes for editors:
About Allergy Therapeutics
Allergy Therapeutics is an international specialty pharmaceutical group focussed on the treatment and diagnosis of allergic disorders, including immunotherapy vaccines, that have the potential to cure disease. The Group sells proprietary and third party products from its subsidiaries in nine major European countries and via distribution agreements in an additional ten countries. Its broad pipeline of products in clinical development include vaccines for grass, tree and house dust mite, and peanut allergy vaccine in pre-clinical development. Adjuvant systems to boost performance of vaccines outside allergy are also in development.
Formed in 1999 out of Smith Kline Beecham, Allergy Therapeutics is headquartered in Worthing, UK with more than 11,000m2 of state-of-the-art MHRA-approved manufacturing facilities and laboratories. The Group, which has achieved double digit compound annual growth since formation, employs c.500 employees and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (AIM:AGY). For more information, please see www.allergytherapeutics.com.
