HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pulmotect, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs that harness the power of the immune system to fight a wide range of respiratory diseases, is pleased to announce Colin Broom, MD, has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Broom most recently served as CEO at Nabriva Therapeutics plc, where he continues as a board member. At Nabriva he was responsible for developing the recently-approved drug Xenleta™ (lefamulin) and taking the company public in 2015. Prior to Nabriva, he was Chief Scientific Officer at ViroPharma, which was acquired by Shire for $4.2B in 2014. His previous experience included roles of increasing responsibility in drug development and commercialization at companies including Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline.
Pulmotect was launched out of Fannin Innovation Studio based upon technology that originated at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas A&M University. Executive chair Leo Linbeck III, who is Founder and Chairman of Fannin, said, “Attracting such a highly-regarded and proven CEO as Colin is a clear signal of the power and potential of Pulmotect’s development program. Under his leadership, I’m confident that we will advance our technology further into the clinic and closer to the marketplace. His addition is a real game-changer for the company.”
“I am delighted to be joining Pulmotect at such an exciting time in the company’s history. The potential of their technology is tremendous and presents an opportunity to develop a new therapeutic approach that could positively impact many patients. I look forward to working with the team and our key collaborators and experts to help move the program ahead,” said Dr. Broom. “Our priority is to advance PUL-42 into Phase II and III trials as soon as possible with an initial focus on immunocompromised patients who are at high risk of respiratory complications from bacterial, viral or fungal causes.”
About Pulmotect
Pulmotect is developing PUL-042, a clinical stage, first-in-class, inhaled, immunomodulatory agent. A synergistic agonist that amplifies the innate immune defenses of the lung epithelial mucosa to provide broad-spectrum, pathogen-agnostic protection against respiratory infections. Invented at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center/Texas A&M University, PUL-042 has patents issued in 9 countries both as a stand alone composition of matter product and in combination with antivirals. The company has raised over $28M to date. For more information, visit www.pulmotect.com.
About Fannin Innovation Studio
Houston-based Fannin Innovation Studio is an early-stage life sciences development group focused exclusively on commercializing biotech and medtech technologies. Fannin partners with life science innovators to create startup companies by providing a pooled management team, central office space and seed funding. To further bridge the commercialization gap, Fannin’s internship and fellowship programs provide aspiring entrepreneurs with hands-on experience with its portfolio programs. For more information, visit www.FanninInnovation.com, come by the Studio at 3900 Essex Lane -- Suite 575, or email innovate@fannininnovation.com.
