Directorate Change

RNS Number : 5197Y

Epistem Holdings plc

27 January 2014

 



27^th January, 2014

Epistem announces executive Board appointment and the strengthening of its Personalised Medicine Diagnostics senior management team

Epistem Holdings Plc (LSE: EHP), the biotechnology and personalised medicine company, announces today the appointment of Dr Allan Brown as Chief Operating Officer of the Diagnostics division of the Company, joining the Board with effect from 1^st February, 2014. Epistem further announces the appointment of Dr Peter Foster as Technical Director of Epistem's Diagnostics division.

Allan Brown, aged 52, has spent his career in the Life Sciences/diagnostics industry. During a seventeen year period with Tepnel Life Sciences plc ("Tepnel") latterly as Divisional Managing Director, Allan's technical management roles covered product development through to commercial product launch and his commercial management roles covered sales and business development and M&A.   Allan left Tepnel in 2010 following its recommended US$132m cash offer by Gen-Probe Inc. in 2009.  At the time of the offer by Gen-Probe Inc. Tepnel employed over 200 employees and had operations in the UK, US, Belgium and France.   After leaving Gen-Probe Allan joined the leading Sample & Assay Technologies company, QIAGEN N.V., in Manchester and managed the final development and launch of the company's first US FDA approved products, helping secure the site as QIAGEN's Global Centre of Excellence for molecular diagnostic product development.

Peter Foster, aged 63, has also spent his career in medical diagnostics as a scientist and joins Epistem to oversee development of a portfolio of new molecular diagnostic tests for Genedrive^®, Epistem's handheld molecular diagnostic device. Peter was Technical Director at Shield Diagnostics which merged to become Axis-Shield PLC. Peter subsequently became CEO at Euro-Diagnostics in 2001 where he successfully developed a portfolio of new medical diagnostic products, including a new and now widely-used biomarker to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, with end user sales of c.$50M pa. From 2007 to 2013, Peter worked in New Zealand both as the CEO of Symansis (until 2012) which developed reagents for use in cancer research and also as a non-executive director of Pacific Edge Limited which developed a test for bladder cancer. Latterly, Peter was National Manager with New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment overseeing science investments.

Matthew Walls, Chief Executive of Epistem, welcoming these appointments said "As Epistem gears up to exploit the many valuable opportunities ahead for Genedrive^®, Allan Brown brings a wealth of diagnostics management experience to Epistem with a deep understanding of commercial and regulatory processes. Peter Foster's heritage and experience as a scientist in medical diagnostics will greatly help Epistem rapidly develop our portfolio of products which will follow on from the launch of our first TB assay, scheduled for later this year."

David Evans, non-executive Chairman of Epistem, said "The appointment of Allan Brown will extend the balance of our Board's experience, to take account of the increasing influence of diagnostics within the Epistem portfolio of activities and, on behalf of shareholders, I extend a warm welcome to him. Further, having worked with Peter Foster at Shield Diagnostics, some time ago now, it is a great pleasure to welcome Peter to the diagnostics technical development team which he will be leading. I wish both Allan and Peter every success"

Save as disclosed herein, there are no additional disclosures to be made in accordance with paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules in relation to Allan Brown.

Past directorship:

Qiagen Manchester Limited

 For further details please contact:

Epistem Plc

Matthew Walls: Chief Executive Officer                                                         ++44 (0)161 606 7258

John Rylands: Finance Director                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Peel Hunt LLP

James Steel                                                                                                           ++44 (0)207 418 8900

Oliver Jackson

Walbrook PR

Mike Wort                                                                                                             ++44 (0)207 933 8780

Anna Dunphy

Notes for editors

Epistem is a biotechnology and personalised medicine company commercialising its expertise in stem cells in the areas of epithelial (oncology, gastrointestinal and dermatological) and infectious diseases. Epistem develops innovative therapeutics, biomarkers and diagnostics (Genedrive^®) alongside contract research services for drug development companies. The Group's core expertise is focused around the regulation of adult stem cells located in epithelial tissue including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, hair follicles, breast and prostate and utilizing novel, proprietary next generation molecular biology for use in personalised medicine. www.epistem.co.uk

 

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