Tyneside drug development company Shield Therapeutics has announced two key appointments ahead of moves to launch its lead product in America.
The Gateshead pharma firm announced earlier in the year plans to launch its iron deficiency treatment Accrufer through its own team, having scrapped plans to team up with a commercial partner.
Now, as those plans are ramped up, the AIM listed company has announced the appointment of Fabiana Lacerca-Allen and Anders Lundstrom – both based in the US – as independent non-executive directors of the company with immediate effect.
Mrs Lacerca-Allen is currently senior vice president, chief compliance officer at Aimmune Therapeutics based in San Francisco, California, which has been a Nestlé Health Science Corporation since October 2020.
Shield said she brings extensive experience in compliance, having started and implemented compliance programmes at several major pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Mylan Laboratories and Elan Pharmaceuticals.
She was also a non-executive director at ArthroCare Corporation, a publicly traded company in the medical device sector prior to its acquisition by Smith & Nephew in 2014. The recipient of several international recognitions, Mrs Lacerca-Allen will become a member of the group’s audit committee.
Meanwhile Mr Lundstrom is currently executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Banner Life Sciences where he is planning and executing a US launch of a product called Bafiertam, for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
He has over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has held senior commercial roles in AstraZeneca, Biogen, Orexo AB, where he was president and CEO from 2011 to 2013, and EMD Serono.
Mr Lundstrom will join the remuneration committee, replacing Rolf Hoffmann who is not seeking re-election at the next AGM.
In a stock market announcement to shareholders, Shield Therapeutics chairman Hans Peter Hasler said: “I am delighted to welcome both Fabiana and Anders to the board of Shield.
“Fabiana’s extensive experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and her US compliance experience along with Anders’ extensive experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and his US commercialisation experience will significantly strengthen the current Board structure whilst Shield prepares for the US launch of Accrufer.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Rolf for all that he has contributed to Shield through his knowledge, commitment and support over these last 3 years and we wish him the very best of luck.”
At the end of last month the company announced that a deal to sell its iron deficiency drug in Asia helped it boost sales to £10m last year.
Shield received an upfront payment of $11.4m when the deal was signed.
