Poolbeg Pharma Plc (LON:POLB, OTCQB: POLBF), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company targeting diseases with a high unmet medical need, has announced the appointment of key former executives of Amryt Pharma plc to its leadership team.
These experienced professionals will assume pivotal roles within Poolbeg, further enhancing the Company’s expertise and capabilities. Poolbeg’s Chairman, Cathal Friel, co-founded both Poolbeg and Amryt Pharma plc. Poolbeg intends to follow a similar strategic approach to Amryt which focusses upon developing a number of exciting clinical assets and the acquisition of approved and marketed drugs, which not only generate revenue but also fund the development of a robust pipeline of innovative products.
David Allmond will join Poolbeg Pharma as Chief Business Officer from 1 December 2023. David was previously Chief Business Officer at Amryt and was instrumental in putting in place the global commercial infrastructure at Amryt which supported its revenue growth from c. $1.5 million when he joined in 2016, to approaching US$250 million some six years later, when Amryt was sold to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.P.A. David played a pivotal role in Amryt, acquiring the Lojuxta distribution rights for Europe and the Middle East in 2016 and joined Amyrt thereafter. Lojuxta became Amryt’s first approved, revenue generating product. David also played a very significant role in Amryt’s acquisition of Aegerion in 2019 and Chiasma Pharmaceuticals in 2021. Previously, he played a key role leading the EMEA team at Aegerion Pharmaceuticals and was the Corporate Vice President of Global Marketing at Celgene during a period of very rapid growth for the company having previously established Celgene’s UK operating company and led their marketing and market access team for EMEA.
John McEvoy will become SVP, Chief Legal Officer, at Poolbeg from 1 January 2024. John was Global General Counsel at Amryt from 2017 and continued in his role at Amryt following its sale to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.P.A. earlier this year. John played an instrumental role in Amryt’s rapid growth, leading the acquisition of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals in 2019 and Chiasma Pharmaceuticals in 2021. He also led the company’s dual-listing on Nasdaq in 2020 and its subsequent sale to Chiesi. John is a qualified lawyer in the US (New York), England & Wales, and Ireland.
Laura Maher will join the Company as Vice President of Clinical Operations from 8 January 2024. Laura joined Amryt in 2018 and as Associate Director of Clinical Operations she led the clinical research programmes for multiple products in Amryt’s pipeline including Filsuvez®, the world’s first approved epidermolysis bullosa treatment. Laura has an extensive background in Clinical Operations having previous roles in Prothena Biosciences, Cancer Trials Ireland, and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.
Cathal Friel, Co-Founder and Chairman of Poolbeg Pharma, said, “I believe that Poolbeg has the potential to deliver the same success as Amryt, which I co-founded in 2015 and IPO’d on AIM in 2016 and which went on to dual list on Nasdaq in 2020 before its sale in 2023 to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.P.A. for US$1.48 billion. When we established Poolbeg Pharma we always had the ambition of creating a substantial biopharmaceutical company and over the last two and a half years we have made great progress in building an innovative and attractive pipeline.
“We welcome these exceptional individuals to the Poolbeg team as we look to accelerate this strategy, which is focussed upon developing a number of very exciting clinical assets and the acquisition of approved and marketed drugs, which not only generate revenue but also fund the development of a robust pipeline of innovative products. Their extensive experience and achievements at Amryt Pharma align with our vision of rapidly generating revenues and creating value for shareholders. We look forward to some very exciting months and years ahead for the entire Poolbeg team, its stakeholders and shareholders.”
