GLYCART Biotechnology Appoints William J. Jenkins to Board of Directors
Zürich, Switzerland - GLYCART Biotechnology, a privately held company leveraging a novel technology to enhance the activity of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases (GlycoMAb(TM)), today announced that William J. Jenkins, MA, MSc, MD, FRCP has joined the company's board of directors.
Dr. Jenkins has been a consultant to pharmaceutical companies, investment funds and venture capital firms in the health care sector since 1999 as well as being a member of the board of several companies in this sector. From 1997 to 1999 he was Head of Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs for Novartis Pharma AG having held the same position pre-merger at Ciba-Geigy since 1992. Dr. Jenkins oversaw the development, registration and approval of several new drugs while at Ciba-Geigy and Novartis including Diovan, Femara and Simulect. Previously he was Head of Global Clinical Research at Glaxo, where he oversaw the clinical development, registration and approval of drugs such as Zofran, Imigran, Serevent and Fluticasone. Before that he was a Deputy Head of the UK Medicines Regulatory Authority, which he joined after 12 years in academic medicine. Dr. Jenkins said "I am enthusiastic about joining the board of GLYCART because their approach to modifying monoclonal antibodies with the aim of making them more potent and potentially more effective is both clinically and commercially attractive."
"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Jenkins, an internationally renowned pharma top manager, to our board. I am convinced that GLYCART will benefit from Dr. Jenkins's longstanding experience and his know-how, particularly regarding clinical development and regulatory affairs", said Joël Jean-Mairet, PhD, CEO of GLYCART. "There is no doubt that his hands-on involvement will be invaluable to GLYCART as we continue to drive our next-generation therapeutic antibody product candidates into clinical development for a number of indications."
"It is a great success for GLYCART to have attracted such a high calibre clinical development expert as an active board member. This valuable addition is in line with GLYCART's strategy to become an integrated therapeutic antibody research & development company. We believe firmly that Dr. Jenkins, through his exceptional expertise and his large network, will make a major contribution to GLYCART as the company achieves its full potential. We are very pleased to have him on board," commented Klaus Breiner, PhD, Investment Manager of Global Life Science Ventures and a member of GLYCART's board of directors.
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Topic world Antibodies
Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous
Topic world Antibodies
Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous
