CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bicycle Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of therapeutics based on its proprietary bicyclic peptides (BicyclesTM) technology, announced today that it has strengthened its global management team to enhance its drug discovery and product development capabilities as the Company progresses toward clinical testing.
Bicycle Therapeutics has made three key executive appointments, including:
- Michael Skynner, PhD to Vice President of Operations;
- Alan Watt, PhD, MBA to Vice President of Therapeutics; and
- Gillian Langford, PhD to Head of Clinical and Project Management.
Following Kevin Lee’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer in September 2015, Bicycle Therapeutics’ strategy has become focused on developing novel treatments for oncology using Bicycle Drug ConjugatesTM to selectively deliver toxins to tumours. The Company is also engaging in collaborative models to realise the full potential of the technology. The Company will advance its first oncology program into the clinic in 2017.
“As we continue to unlock the full potential of our Bicycle platform and prepare to move our first program into the clinic next year, we are pleased to have these outstanding drug development experts join our team,” said Kevin Lee, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. “Collectively, these appointments strengthen considerably our depth in drug discovery and development and reflect the progress that we have made in translating our premier Bicycle platform technology into meaningfully different treatments focused on oncology. With the near-term advancement of our first Bicycle Drug Conjugate for oncology and the potential applications of the technology in multiple disease states, we are building our team and organisational structure to ensure we have the resources and talent that will support the Company’s growth.”
Dr Skynner joined Bicycle Therapeutics from Pfizer, where he led rare disease efforts in Europe, founded and led the Pfizer Rare Disease Consortium (RDC), and established the Genetic Medicine Institute. Before Pfizer, Dr Skynner established a Discovery Performance Unit at GSK. Dr Skynner also co-founded Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd, successfully progressing assets into the clinic before completing a company trade sale to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. Dr Skynner received his PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College.
Dr Watt brings more than 30 years of experience in drug discovery and development to Bicycle Therapeutics. Previously, he co-founded Xenovium, a drug discovery and development consulting firm, and also served as Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President of R&D for Trident Pharmaceuticals. Before that, he served as Vice President of Therapeutics at Cellzome UK, contributing to the successful exit to GSK. He previously held positions with GSK’s Immuno-Inflammation Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery (CEDD) and GSK’s Neurology CEDD. He also served as Head of Drug Metabolism and Head of In Vivo Pharmacology at Merck. He holds a BSc in Chemistry, a PhD in Drug Metabolism and an MBA from the Open Business School.
Dr Langford joined Bicycle Therapeutics from Boyd Consultants where she served as a Programme Director. Previously, Dr Langford worked at Alizyme Therapeutics Ltd as Product Development Manager. She also served as Head of Gene Medicine Development at Ark Therapeutics Ltd. While at Imutran Ltd, a Novartis Pharma AG company, she held the roles of Unit Head of Molecular Biology and Unit Head of Retroviral Research. Dr Langford is a graduate of Imperial College and received her PhD in Molecular Biology at York University.
About Bicycle Therapeutics
Bicycle Therapeutics is
pioneering a new class of therapeutics for oncology and other disease
areas based on its proprietary bicyclic peptides (BicyclesTM)
technology. Bicycles are a breakthrough new therapeutic class
that combine antibody-like library creation, potency and selectivity
with small molecule tissue penetration, rapid clearance and chemical
synthesis. Bicycle Therapeutics is developing novel treatments for
oncology using Bicycle Drug ConjugatesTM to
selectively deliver toxins to tumours and also engaging in collaborative
models to realise the full potential of the technology. Bicycle
Therapeutics’ technology is based on the work performed at the MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge by the scientific founders
of the company, Sir Gregory Winter and Professor Christian Heinis.
Bicycle Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, UK. For more
information, visit www.bicycletherapeutics.com.
