Novacta Therapeutics Strengthens Leadership Team

26-02-2009: Novacta Therapeutics Ltd announced the appointment of Dr David Pompliano to the Board of Directors. In addition to his role of non-executive director Dr. Pompliano will also provide strategic direction to Novacta’s R&D team and will hold the position of Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. The appointment of Dr Pompliano is part of the further development of Novacta’s therapeutic business.

Dr Pompliano was the former Vice President and Worldwide Basic Research Head of Antimicrobials at Merck, where he was responsible for discovery and early development strategy. Prior to that, Dr Pompliano was Vice President and Head of Biology for the Microbial Musculoskeletal and Proliferative Diseases Center for Excellence in Drug Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline, where he led a large and diverse group of biological scientists who, in collaboration with medicinal chemists, generated more than 25 small molecule development candidates, including novel structure antibacterials and antimalarials, target-specific cancer therapeutics and osteoporosis medicines. Three of these compounds, Tykerb, Altabax and Promacta, passed FDA review for new drug registration, and five other compounds are in Phase II clinical trials or beyond.