Phico Therapeutics Ltd, a biotechnology company developing a novel platform technology as the basis of a new generation of antibiotics to overcome antibacterial resistance, has announced the appointment of Andrew Armour as Financial Director (FD) and Professor Mark Wilcox and David Beadle as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). The appointments have been made to support the progression of Phico's lead product SASPject PT3.8 through clinical trials and the financing of the Company's planned clinical-grade manufacturing facility.
SASPject PT3.8 has been developed for the intravenous treatment of hospital infections due to the bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa using Phico's SASPject platform, which utilises unique antibacterial small acid-soluble spore proteins to target and deactivate bacterial DNA.
Andrew Armour is a Chartered Accountant with experience in the healthcare industry, particularly in financial restructuring, equity fundraising and corporate acquisitions and disposals. Professor Mark Wilcox has held several positions at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals and is currently a Consultant Microbiologist and Head of Research and Development in Microbiology and Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Leeds. David Beadle has more than 25 years' experience within healthcare and finance, having worked in marketing and strategic development at Schwarz Pharma and Schering AG before moving into investment banking, where he built and led highly ranked healthcare equity research teams both globally and across Europe for more than 10 years.
Dr Heather Fairhead, CEO at Phico, said: "The collective experience that Mark, David and Andrew have in clinical and business development will help us to deliver upon our strategy of developing an antibacterial therapy to help overcome the global problem of antimicrobial resistance. I am thrilled to welcome them to the team."