Immunocore expands its senior management team and opens US Office
(Oxford, UK, Philadelphia, US 17th December 2015) Immunocore Limited, a world-leading biotechnology company developing novel T cell receptor (TCR) based biological drugs to treat cancer, viral infections and autoimmune disease, today announced that it has appointed James Sandy as Chief Development Officer and Julian Hirst as Director of Corporate Finance. These new positions will be based in Oxford, UK.
James Sandy will be responsible for leading the clinical development of Immunocore’s growing pipeline of proprietary immuno-oncology drugs known as ImmTACs (Immune Mobilising Monoclonal T Cell Receptors Against Cancer) and for the Company’s strategic pharmaceutical partnerships that include combination trials.
James has more than 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries covering a range of development phases and therapeutic areas, including oncology. Most recently he was Chief Development Officer at Creabilis Ltd. Prior to this, James held various senior positions at Pfizer Inc., including Head of European and Asian Development Operations, Development Team Leader within the Gastrointestinal Therapeutic Area and Oncology Therapeutic Area Head, Europe, where he supported the successful Aromacin® EU filing and approval and has led the delivery of several global drug filings.
Joining the company, Julian Hirst will be responsible for supporting Immunocore’s management team and Board on corporate and investment activities. Julian joined Immunocore in early 2015 as a consultant and played a key role in the coordination of the Company’s recent $320 million Series A financing. Julian brings more than 25 years’ experience at a senior level in the investment banking industry, having been Vice Chairman and Head of Corporate Finance at Panmure Gordon, Head of European Technology and a Managing Director at UBS, and Head of European Media at Morgan Stanley.
As it builds out its senior management team, Immunocore has also established a new US office in Conshohocken, Philadelphia. These new premises will accommodate the Company’s US clinical development, medical and regulatory operations and provide an important base for Immunocore’s ongoing US activities.
Dr. Eliot Forster, Chief Executive Officer at Immunocore, commented: “I am delighted that Immunocore has been able to recruit James and Julian, who will provide experienced leadership to our clinical and corporate development activities as we continue to execute our strategy and strive to remain as a private company. We are also excited to have opened a US base for Immunocore and expanding our operations there. Following our recent successful financing, these appointments and our expansion into the US further support our mission to become a world-leading premier biotechnology company.”
James Sandy commented on his appointment: “I am excited to be joining Immunocore at this pivotal time in the Company’s growth and to be leading the late stage development activities of our internal and partnered ImmTACs. Immunocore’s growing pipeline has the potential to deliver novel and first-in-class immuno-oncology therapeutics that has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of cancer.”
Julian Hirst commented on his appointment: “I have been very impressed by the quality of the team at Immunocore and the innovative immuno-oncology therapies the Company is developing. I was delighted to have played a central role in the recent Series A funding round, which saw a large number of new, high quality investors coming onto the share register.”
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