CAMBRIDGE, England, November 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Appoints Dr Neil Brewis as Chief Scientific Officer
F-star, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel bispecific antibodies with a focus on immuno-oncology, today announced the appointment of Dr Neil Brewis as Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr Brewis joins F-star from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where as Vice President, Head of Biopharmaceutical Research he led a global team of 300 scientists who advanced numerous monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments, and protein therapeutics from target validation into early clinical development. This involved leading teams focused on pipeline discovery, platform innovation, translational medicine, clinical immunology, manufacturing process research, and cell line development.
Dr Brewis has 20 years' experience in drug discovery and development and prior to joining GSK, he played a key leadership role, as Head of Research, in the success of building Domantis until the company was acquired by GSK in 2007. He has a PhD in Biochemistry from Dundee University and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from Hertfordshire University in 2014.
Commenting on the appointment, John Haurum, Chief Executive Officer of F-star, said: "We are very pleased to welcome Neil to our team. His significant track record and expertise in applying antibody technologies to discover and develop clinical products will further enable us to move our portfolio of immuno-oncology compounds into the clinic. This appointment strengthens our experienced management team and supports F-star's strategy to lead the bispecific antibody space in immuno-oncology. It also demonstrates the unmatched attraction of Cambridge as the foremost biotech cluster in Europe, serving as a key hub for biopharmaceutical companies and academic excellence within antibody drug discovery and development."
Dr Neil Brewis, newly appointed Chief Scientific Officer of F-star, added: "F-star is an emerging world leader in bispecific antibody drug discovery and I am delighted to join the company at this exciting time to help maximise the potential of the technology and progress compounds into clinical development."
About F-star
F-star is a clinical-stage company developing bispecific antibody immuno-oncology products selected for their potential to transform the treatment of cancer. F-star's management team has significant experience in building numerous successful biotech companies. The team is advised by a world-leading scientific advisory board and a highly experienced board of directors. Through application of its powerful Modular Antibody Technology™ platform F-star aims to dominate the bispecific antibody space in immuno-oncology. F-star is the only biotechnology company able to create bispecific antibodies, where the second binding site is in the constant Fc region of an antibody, offering unprecedented ease in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of bispecific antibody products. The Company has built a comprehensive IP estate around this core technology and related applications, with over 50 patents filed and 27 already granted. The strength of the technology and programmes has been leveraged through partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies including, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck Serono and Boehringer Ingelheim. Furthermore, F-star's lead clinical-stage programme (FS102) has provided valuable validation around key aspects of the core technology such as ease of manufacturing, favourable drug stability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity.