Julian Read steps down as CEO of Simris Group. The Board of Simris appoints Dr Alexis Roberts-McIntosh as his successor with immediate effect.

The Board of Simris Group has previously communicated its strategy to focus resources on its wholly-owned subsidiary, Simris Biologics GmbH, which develops cytotoxic compounds from cyanobacteria for inclusion in Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC) and which is now likely to be less than 12 months away from securing its first license agreement. In anticipation of this, the Board has therefore committed to strengthening leadership through the appointment of a CEO with an appropriate background and track record in the Pharma sector, to ensure the successful commercialisation of its ADC-platform and eventual expansion into other areas.

Dr. Roberts-McIntosh's appointment is an integral part of the strategic turnaround of the Simris Group's activities, which is underpinned by the shift in focus of the company from the low-margin and highly competitive dietary supplement space to the high-margin ADC payload pharmaceutical space - where the company's product has a sustainable competitive advantage underpinned by its broad patent protection.

In the last 22 months considerable work has been done by outgoing CEO, Julian Read, to redefine Simris' corporate objectives, complete the acquisition of Cyano Biotech GmbH (since renamed Simris Biologics), and bring the Group substantially closer to securing its first ADC license agreement with a drug developer. These actions, combined with the funding support received from Simris Chairman Steven Schapera and other strategic shareholders, ensures that Dr. Roberts-McIntosh inherits a company that has a clear strategy, is operating efficiently, and is funded appropriately.

Dr. Roberts-McIntosh holds a Ph.D in Medicinal Chemistry. She began her career with GlaxoSmithKline and has since spent the last 27 years transitioning upward through ever-more senior appointments at some of world's most iconic pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, and Abbott. She is highly entrepreneurial, has an unblemished record of driving innovative products to commercialisation, and has managed complex teams and large P&L’s. By any measure, Alexis is an accomplished leader with a proven history of delivering outstanding sales growth with accompanying profitability.

The Board thanks Julian for his hard work in transforming Simris from being an Omega-3 pure-player into a competitive biotech company preparing to serve the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies with novel active compounds to use in their drug development pipeline. The Simris business is in a stronger position now than it has ever been, and remains committed to its path of transformation and the commercialisation of its ADC-platform.

On the appointment of Dr. Roberts-McIntosh, Mr. Schapera commented: "I have known Alexis since about 2018 and always knew the time would come when we would work together. Alexis has years of experience bringing pharma and consumer products to market, and her global experience in Big Pharma is just what we need right now, to strengthen our position in the ADC space with drug developers and secure our first license agreement. Our outgoing CEO Julian Read has done a phenomenal job in getting us to where we are today, and he now hands over the baton to Alexis. Julian, in combination with our CFO Christoffer Tell, and our scientific team in Berlin headed by Dr. Dan Enke and Dr. Heike Enke will work collaboratively with Alexis in coming months to ensure the transfer of knowledge is as seamless as possible.”

Dr. Roberts-McIntosh added “Simris Biologics holds an extremely strong position in the ADC payload space. It's also sitting on the world's largest strain library of cyanobacteria. I am excited at the prospect of unlocking and adding value, both at the Simris Biologics level as well as to the broader Group. The opportunity to build a substantial business around products and services that do good for people and the planet is a rare one and I am excited to be joining the Team.”

Julian Read commented, “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff and the Board and wish them every success for the future. I have taken this difficult decision for entirely personal reasons, and this should not be interpreted as any lack of belief on my part for the ambitions of the Simris Group. I firmly believe that the ADC-technology platform will enable the successful treatment of cancer patients and will develop significant value for shareholders. Simris now has the opportunity to bring in a leader with far more experience in pharmaceuticals, and to deliver on this potential.”