Verona Pharma welcomes new directors to the company
October 8, 2015Verona Pharma plc, a UK-based drug development company focused on medicines to treat respiratory diseases, has appointed Ken Cunningham, MD and Anders Ullman, MD, PhD, as Non-Executive Directors of the Company with effect from September 10, 2015.
In an announcement from Thursday, the company said Dr Cunningham would replace Professor Jones as the Non-Executive Director appointed by the Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund under the Subscription and Shareholders Agreement entered into in March 2014 with the Company.
Stuart Bottomley and Ms Claire Poll will also retire from the Board, having been Directors of Verona Pharma since 2006, the company said.
Presenting Dr Ken Cunningham, aged 62, the company pointed out that has had over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry including leadership roles at several companies focused on developing respiratory medicines. He is currently NonExecutive Chairman of Abzena plc and Non-Executive Director of Xention Pharma Ltd and was Non-Executive Chairman of Prosonix Ltd ahead of its recent sale to Circassia for £100m in June, 2015.
Dr David Ebsworth, Non-Executive Chairman of Verona Pharma said:
“The Board would like to thank Claire, Stuart and Trevor for their many years of hard work and support. Their long tenure is testament to the value of their advice and their numerous contributions on many fronts. They have all been instrumental in nurturing the Company as it progressed its pipeline into the clinic. We warmly wish them the very best for the future.
“We are delighted to welcome to the Board of Verona Pharma Dr Anders Ullman and Dr Ken Cunningham. Both are respected industry leaders with invaluable expertise in the field of respiratory drug development. We look forward to working with them as we continue with the focused clinical development of our lead pipeline asset RPL554, a PDE3/4 inhibitor, as a first-in-class orally Dr Cunningham will also be appointed as Chairman of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominations Committees.”
Dr Ullman will be appointed as a member of the Audit Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominations Committee. Bottomley will retire from the Audit, Remuneration and Corporate Governance and Nominations Committees and Ms Poll will retire from the Audit Committee.
