Learn about the latest appointments, acquisitions, awards and other news in life sciences, involving Florence, Nanoform and other notable companies.
Learn about the latest appointments, acquisitions, awards and other news in life sciences, involving Florence, Nanoform and other notable companies.
Private investment outfit GI Partners has sealed the deal on its acquisition of trial technology specialists Clinical Ink. Based in Horsham, Penn., Clinical Ink offers a range of data-focused solutions for clinical trials, including its Lumenis eSource suite.
Working closely with Clinical Ink’s senior management, GI Partners plans to support acceleration of the company’s innovation regarding its clinical trial workflow technologies. Existing shareholder NovaQuest reportedly will continue serving as a minority investor.
Clinical trial workflow management platform provider Florence Healthcare has named Cooper Anderson as chief financial officer. With a background in leading high-growth software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses, Anderson reportedly will help the firm manage a recent surge in company growth.
Prior to joining Florence Healthcare, Anderson served as CFO at Acuity, working with high-growth technology firms. He also had been CFO at GreenHaven Group.
“Cooper’s wealth of knowledge in technology and other markets is incredibly valuable as Florence accelerates its growth to meet the demand for remote site access and monitoring,” says Angela Gill Nelms, chief operating officer at Florence. “He’s a true agent of innovation, and his leadership will be crucial as Florence continues to advance clinical research through site and sponsor collaborations.”
Contract research organization (CRO) Premier Research has selected Cassandra Matney to serve as senior medical director. With a deep oncology background, including experience in solid and hemato-oncology tumors, she joins a diverse team of other oncology experts with experience managing more than 170 oncology trials over the past five years.
“Cassandra’s background as an MD at large global pharmaceutical firms enriches our existing oncology team and adds dimension to our insight and vision in this therapeutic area,” said Premier Research vice president of medical affairs Teresa Nunes. “She brings experience identifying and engaging investigators for clinical development and medical affairs and has broad oncology drug knowledge.”
Pharma film coating and excipients specialist Colorcon has opened a new technical center in Melbourne, Australia. The facility is designed to provide clients with access to a range of advanced development services, including as tablet formulation and coating.
Glenn Russell, Colorcon’s technical director, said, “The facility will also provide the opportunity to extend the educational events offered through the Colorcon Academy to our customers, with resources to conduct training programs to expand their knowledge in formulation and coating; benefiting both companies and individuals.”
Oncology medicine specialists Black Diamond Therapeutics have appointed Fang Ni as the company’s chief business officer. His past experience includes serving as principal and investment team member at Versant Ventures, and as global business development and licensing director with Roche’s Partnering organization.
“Fang’s proven track record in business development and corporate strategy, including his work as Black Diamond’s interim chief business officer, gives us confidence that he has the optimal expertise to expand and execute our strategic and business development initiatives,” said David Epstein, president and CEO of Black Diamond Therapeutics. “Fang’s leadership of this critical function will be key as we advance our pipeline of clinical and discovery programs derived from the MAP platform.”
Diurnal Group, a pharma firm specializing in therapies for chronic endocrine diseases, announces that director and chief scientific officer Richard Ross has been recognized by the Society’s 2021 Laureate Awards for Outstanding Innovation. The program salutes achievements in endocrinology, including innovations in research and clinical care.
“The Laureate Award is recognition of the pioneering research we have developed at Diurnal and an inspiration to the team to continue our work of developing new treatments for patients with unmet needs in endocrine diseases,” Ross said.
The award will be presented to Ross at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, in March 2021.
Nanoform, a company specializing in nanoparticle medicine technology, has named Eric Peter to help drive business development in the US. Peter brings a range of business development and technical sales experience over more than 25 years in the pharma industry.
“I am thrilled to be joining such a vibrant team that is dedicated to revolutionising pharmaceutical development. I look forward to introducing Nanoform’s award-winning technology to partners in the US and working with them to solve their complex formulation challenges,” Peter said.
Nanoform, a company specializing in nanoparticle medicine technology, has named Sergie Letser to its business development team. Letser reportedly will leverage his broad experience in pharma development and manufacturing to strengthen the company’s commercial organization.
“Nanoform has developed an outstanding technology that will enable pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to significantly increase the solubility and bioavailability of their drugs,” Letser said. “I anticipate exciting times ahead, working with the rest of the commercial development team to bring next-generation pharmaceutical products to the market.”
Healthcare technology company Aetion has landed a $19m extension to Series B funding, with investment from three new shareholders: Johnson & Johnson Innovation, EDBI, and Greenspring Associates. The infusion brings the company’s total Series B funding to $82m.
Scott Gottlieb, Aetion’s board director and former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, said, “The new investment will help Aetion define and advance real-world evidence standards in the US and across the globe.”
The funding reportedly will be used to expand the company’s Evidence Platform capabilities, aligning stakeholders with the goal of assessing the safety, effectiveness, and value of medications, and to advance its global effort in establishing standards for real-world evidence (RWE).
Biopharma firm Hoth Therapeutics has appointed Stefanie Johns to the position of chief scientific officers. In the role, Johns will be charged with advancing the company’s drug pipeline through both preclinical and clinical stages.
Johns brings to the company experience in development across drug, biologic, medical devices, and in vitro diagnostic device products in US and global markets. Most recently she had been director of regulatory affairs at Enable Injections, where she led the global regulatory strategy for subcutaneous drug delivery device platforms.
