Aker BioMarine appoints Douglas C. Hicks as Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategy

LYSAKER, Norway, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BioMarine, the global biotech innovator and world-leading supplier of krill, announces the appointment of biotechnology and pharmaceutical executive Douglas C. Hicks to the position of Senior Vice President – Business Development and Strategy, to lead Aker BioMarine's entry into the pharmaceutical segment.

Based out of the U.S., Mr. Hicks will play an integral role in the development of new product segments for Aker BioMarine's LYSOVETA™, a new krill-based LPC-EPA/DHA delivery platform. He will develop and drive LYSOVETA's growth outside of the company's core supplement segment, with a focus on pharmaceutical and medical food applications.

Mr. Hicks comes to Aker BioMarine with over 20 years of experience in corporate development and business strategy execution within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and venture capital segments. He most recently served as Chief Business Officer for Travecta Therapeutics, Inc. where he led and executed multiple collaborations for the company. Prior to Travecta, Mr. Hicks served as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at iBio, Inc., where he was responsible for leading the business development and strategic initiatives of the company. He began his career at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Clearview Projects, Inc. and holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus on finance and strategy from Pennsylvania State University.

"We are still in the early days of our LYSOVETA project, and we needed a senior executive from the biotech and pharma space to support us on this journey. With Doug's extensive experience, from both creating companies to developing products, he is the right person to help us map out the opportunity space for LYSOVETA and to look beyond Aker BioMarine's current markets to maximize its potential," says Matts Johansen, CEO, Aker BioMarine.

Launched in late 2020, LYSOVETA, the LPC-EPA/DHA delivery platform from krill is a significant breakthrough, promising new opportunities within brain, eye, and other important health areas. Aker BioMarine is currently partnering with researchers and academic institutions to gain a better understanding of its impact on human health.

"I see so much potential with using LYSOVETA in the development of therapies for serious diseases, and I'm thrilled to be a part of its advancement. I believe that strong collaborations will be essential to our success, and I aim to forge partnerships across the industry to untap the full value of LPC-EPA/DHA for the brain, eyes and other critical health areas," says Mr. Hicks.

About Aker BioMarine
Aker BioMarine is a biotech innovator and Antarctic krill-harvesting company, dedicated to improving human and planetary health. Listed on Oslo  Stock Exchange, the company develops krill-based ingredients for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical (Superba®, NKO® and K·REAL®), aquaculture (QRILL™ Aqua), and animal feed applications (QRILL™ Pet), including INVI™, a highly concentrated protein isolate, and LYSOVETA™, a targeted transporter of EPA and DHA from krill. Aker BioMarine's fully transparent value chain stretches from sustainable krill harvesting in pristine Antarctic waters through its Montevideo logistics hub, Houston production plant, and to customers around the world. The company's strong focus on sustainability inspired the launch of AION by Aker BioMarine, a circularity company dedicated to helping companies to recycle and reuse waste. Read more: www.akerbiomarine.com

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SOURCE Aker BioMarine