Oxford Biomedica plc: Board Changes

Board Changes

         
Oxford, UK – 3 February, 2021: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) (“Oxford Biomedica” or “the Group”), a leading gene and cell therapy group, today announces two changes to the Group’s Board of Directors.

Professor Dame Kay Davies will be joining the Board as a Non-Executive Director, effective 1 March 2021. Professor Davies is a world-leading human geneticist with a research focus on the molecular analysis of neuromuscular and neurological disease, particularly Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). She has published more than 400 papers and pioneered approaches to the therapy of DMD. She is currently Professor of Genetics and Co-Director (and Founder Member) of MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre at the University of Oxford.

Professor Davies has significant experience sitting on the Boards of both public and private companies and charities. She was co-founder of Summit Therapeutics plc and Oxstem Limited, both of which are spinouts from her research activities, and she also sits on the Board of UCB S.A. and The Biotech Growth Trust plc. She was appointed a governor of the Wellcome Trust in 2008 and was Deputy Chairman between 2013 and 2017. Professor Davies has a BA in Chemistry and a D.Phil. in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.

The Group also announces that Martin Diggle will step down from the Board with immediate effect. Martin Diggle joined the Board of Directors in October 2012 as a non-independent Director. He is a founder of Vulpes Investment Management, which manages a number of funds including the Vulpes Life Sciences/Testudo Fund.

There are no disclosures required to be made in accordance with LR 9.6.13R.

Dr. Roch Doliveux, Non-Executive Chairman of Oxford Biomedica, said: “It is an honour to have Professor Dame Kay Davies, the world-renowned geneticist and Professor at Oxford University, agree to join the Board and further augment our science and translational expertise as we continue to strengthen Oxford Biomedica’s position as a leading gene and cell therapy company.  

“I would like to thank Martin for his considerable time on the Board and the experience and support he has provided. We are delighted that Vulpes will carry on being fully supportive of the Group, remaining as a major shareholder, as we continue to grow. In addition, I thank Martin for his long service to the Group and wish him well in his future endeavours. 

“These changes further highlight our commitment to best practice Corporate Governance and diverse talent.”

Professor Dame Kay Davies, incoming Non-Executive Director of Oxford Biomedica, said: “Oxford Biomedica is a world leader in cell and gene therapy, a field which my research has been closely involved in and which I believe has the potential to improve the quality of life of many. I look forward to working with the Board at this very exciting time for the Group.”

Mr Martin Diggle, Partner of Vulpes Investment management, said:
“It has been an honour to have served on the Board of Oxford Biomedica since 2012. Since then the transformation of the business under the leadership of John Dawson and his team has been nothing short of remarkable and as I step down from the Board after nearly 9 years, I and all of us at Vulpes, look forward to the future of Oxford Biomedica with enormous excitement and great confidence.”

As of 1 March 2021, the members of the Oxford Biomedica Board of Directors will be as follows:

Dr. Roch Doliveux, Non-Executive Chairman

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer

Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer

Stuart Henderson, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director

Professor Dame Kay Davies, Independent Non-Executive Director

Robert Ghenchev, Non-Executive Director

Dr. Andrew Heath, Non-Executive Director

Dr. Heather Preston, Independent Non-Executive Director

Dr. Sam Rasty, Independent Non-Executive Director

-Ends-

About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases. Oxford Biomedica and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector^®), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, CNS disorders, liver diseases and respiratory disease. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Sio Gene Therapies, Orchard Therapeutics, Santen, Beam Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Imperial Innovations, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Additionally the group has signed a 3 year master supply and development agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacturing of their adenoviral based COVID-19 vaccine. Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 580 people. Further information is available at www.oxb.com