Stevenage, UK, 22 July 2015 – Auspherix Limited (UK), an early stage anti-infectives company, has announced that it has expanded and strengthened its Board and Scientific Advisory Board with the appointments of Dr Jared Silverman as Non-Executive Director and Scientific Advisor, and Professor David Livermore as a Scientific Advisor.
Dr Silverman’s career has focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics to treat serious, drug resistant infections in the hospital setting. US-based, he is currently VP of Research at VL32, following 18 years at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. He has two decades of experience in converting basic science into clinically and commercially useful data to guide drug development, patient treatment and marketing strategy. His research has contributed to the discovery of three novel antibiotics that entered clinical development.
Professor Livermore brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Company, with over 35 years in the sector and a long track record of research and publications on the evolution and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance, particularly beta-lactamases. Currently Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), he serves on the UK Government’s Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee. Earlier in his career he spent 14 years with the Public Health Laboratory Service (now Public Health England), becoming Director of its Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory, and 17 years at the London Hospital Medical College.
Commenting on the new appointments, Dr Roberto Solari, Non-Executive Chairman of Auspherix, said: “Being able to attract individuals of the quality and international standing of Jared and David underlines the potential that exists within Auspherix. Their decades of experience and achievement in the anti-infectives arena will be invaluable in helping to guide our discovery and development efforts.
“These appointments, along with other recent additions to our senior team, our move to the UK and securing £6m in venture financing means that we are well positioned to progress our discoveries of a new class of antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. Finding ways to address the ever increasing issue of antibiotic resistance is critical to future medicine and we are pleased to be playing a role in that endeavor.”
Auspherix is actively recruiting to expand its science and management teams.
- ENDS -
Notes To Editors
About Auspherix Ltd
Auspherix Ltd has discovered a brand new class of antibacterials with a unique profile and novel mechanism of action that could overcome rising problems of resistance to current antibiotics. Its compound series show activity against a broad range of multidrug resistant (MDR) important Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections, with PK profiles consistent with their use as antibacterial drugs for a number of indications with high unmet need and large market potential.
Based in Stevenage UK (in the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst facility), the Company was founded in late 2013 based on discoveries made at the ithree institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The Company has raised AUS $2million in Seed and Series A1 investments (2013-2014) from Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and £6 million in Series A2 round (2015) from the MRCF and the UK’s Imperial innovations plc (AIM IVO).
For further information please visit www.auspherix.com
About Dr Jared Silverman
Dr Silverman’s career has focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics to treat serious, drug resistant infections in the hospital setting. US-based, he is currently VP of Research at VL32, following 18 years at Cubist Pharmaceuticals where he contributed to the discovery of three novel antibiotics that entered clinical development, including as the biology lead for the discovery of Surotomycin, currently in Phase 3 trials for the treatment of C. difficile. Additionally, Dr Silverman and his collaborators pursued studies into the mechanism of action of the lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin and the mechanisms of resistance to this clinically important antibiotic. He undertook postdoctoral training at Yale University and has a PhD in Microbiology from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Silverman serves as a member of the UK MRC’s Antimicrobial Resistance steering group.
About Professor David Livermore
Professor Livermore brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Company, with over 35 years in the sector and a long track record of research and publications on the evolution and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance, particularly ?-lactamases. Currently Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), he serves on the UK Government’s Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee, and has contributed extensively to the Chief Medical Officer for England’s 2011 Annual Report. Prior to this he spent 14 years with the Public Health Laboratory Service (now Public Health England), becoming Director of its Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory. Within his current UEA role, he continues to provide sessions to Public Health England as its Lead on Antibiotic Resistance. In his earlier career, Professor Livermore spent 17 years at the London Hospital Medical College. He has edited for several journals, presently including the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. David has a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of London. He consults widely for the pharmaceutical industry. Issued for and on behalf of Auspherix by Instinctif Partners.
For more information please contact:
Media Relations - Instinctif Partners
Sue Charles / Gemma Howe / Rosanna Forrest
T: +44 (0)20 7457 2020
E: auspherix@instinctif.com
Auspherix
In the UK
Dr Roberto Solari, Chairman
T: +44 (0)20 7594 3116
E: Roberto.solari@auspherix.com
In Australia
Dr Stephen Thompson, Director of Auspherix and Partner at Brandon Capital (manager of the MRCF)
T +61 (0)3 9657 0700
E: SThompson@brandoncapital.com.au
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
Dr Silverman’s career has focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics to treat serious, drug resistant infections in the hospital setting. US-based, he is currently VP of Research at VL32, following 18 years at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. He has two decades of experience in converting basic science into clinically and commercially useful data to guide drug development, patient treatment and marketing strategy. His research has contributed to the discovery of three novel antibiotics that entered clinical development.
Professor Livermore brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Company, with over 35 years in the sector and a long track record of research and publications on the evolution and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance, particularly beta-lactamases. Currently Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), he serves on the UK Government’s Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee. Earlier in his career he spent 14 years with the Public Health Laboratory Service (now Public Health England), becoming Director of its Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory, and 17 years at the London Hospital Medical College.
Commenting on the new appointments, Dr Roberto Solari, Non-Executive Chairman of Auspherix, said: “Being able to attract individuals of the quality and international standing of Jared and David underlines the potential that exists within Auspherix. Their decades of experience and achievement in the anti-infectives arena will be invaluable in helping to guide our discovery and development efforts.
“These appointments, along with other recent additions to our senior team, our move to the UK and securing £6m in venture financing means that we are well positioned to progress our discoveries of a new class of antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. Finding ways to address the ever increasing issue of antibiotic resistance is critical to future medicine and we are pleased to be playing a role in that endeavor.”
Auspherix is actively recruiting to expand its science and management teams.
- ENDS -
Notes To Editors
About Auspherix Ltd
Auspherix Ltd has discovered a brand new class of antibacterials with a unique profile and novel mechanism of action that could overcome rising problems of resistance to current antibiotics. Its compound series show activity against a broad range of multidrug resistant (MDR) important Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections, with PK profiles consistent with their use as antibacterial drugs for a number of indications with high unmet need and large market potential.
Based in Stevenage UK (in the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst facility), the Company was founded in late 2013 based on discoveries made at the ithree institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The Company has raised AUS $2million in Seed and Series A1 investments (2013-2014) from Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and £6 million in Series A2 round (2015) from the MRCF and the UK’s Imperial innovations plc (AIM IVO).
For further information please visit www.auspherix.com
About Dr Jared Silverman
Dr Silverman’s career has focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics to treat serious, drug resistant infections in the hospital setting. US-based, he is currently VP of Research at VL32, following 18 years at Cubist Pharmaceuticals where he contributed to the discovery of three novel antibiotics that entered clinical development, including as the biology lead for the discovery of Surotomycin, currently in Phase 3 trials for the treatment of C. difficile. Additionally, Dr Silverman and his collaborators pursued studies into the mechanism of action of the lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin and the mechanisms of resistance to this clinically important antibiotic. He undertook postdoctoral training at Yale University and has a PhD in Microbiology from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Silverman serves as a member of the UK MRC’s Antimicrobial Resistance steering group.
About Professor David Livermore
Professor Livermore brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Company, with over 35 years in the sector and a long track record of research and publications on the evolution and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance, particularly ?-lactamases. Currently Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of East Anglia (UEA), he serves on the UK Government’s Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee, and has contributed extensively to the Chief Medical Officer for England’s 2011 Annual Report. Prior to this he spent 14 years with the Public Health Laboratory Service (now Public Health England), becoming Director of its Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory. Within his current UEA role, he continues to provide sessions to Public Health England as its Lead on Antibiotic Resistance. In his earlier career, Professor Livermore spent 17 years at the London Hospital Medical College. He has edited for several journals, presently including the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. David has a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of London. He consults widely for the pharmaceutical industry. Issued for and on behalf of Auspherix by Instinctif Partners.
For more information please contact:
Media Relations - Instinctif Partners
Sue Charles / Gemma Howe / Rosanna Forrest
T: +44 (0)20 7457 2020
E: auspherix@instinctif.com
Auspherix
In the UK
Dr Roberto Solari, Chairman
T: +44 (0)20 7594 3116
E: Roberto.solari@auspherix.com
In Australia
Dr Stephen Thompson, Director of Auspherix and Partner at Brandon Capital (manager of the MRCF)
T +61 (0)3 9657 0700
E: SThompson@brandoncapital.com.au
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
