Allecra Therapeutics, a Germany-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel antibiotics to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections, has appointed Dr. Engelbert (Bert) Tjeenk Willink as a Chairman of the Board and Dr. Leon Hooftmanas as Chief Medical Officer.
Prior to this position Dr. Tjeenk Willink was a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim’s Board of Managing Directors. Dr. Tjeenk Willink commented: “Allecra is a dynamic company with the potential to make a significant impact on the growing and widespread epidemic of drug-resistant bacterial infections.”
Dr. Leon Hooftman, Allecra’s new CMO, has over 20 years’ experience in biopharmaceutical drug development. Previous positions include Head of Clinical Development at Celltech Group plc and Chief Medical Officer of Chroma Therapeutics. Dr. Hooftman said: “Allecra is working directly on Gram-negative resistant infections in the hospital, an area of urgent medical need recently highlighted by both the World Health Organization and by the US Center for Disease Control. Allecra’s technology provides the opportunity to make a real difference to patients and potentially provides an important new treatment for hospital clinicians who are grappling with these types of infection.”