Moncef Slaoui Joins Medicxi

LONDON & GENEVA & JERSEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medicxi, the leading European life sciences investment firm, today announces that Dr Moncef Slaoui, alongside his other commitments, has joined its team as Partner. Dr Slaoui was formerly GSK’s Chairman of Pharmaceutical R&D and of its vaccines division.

Dr Slaoui brings extensive clinical, medical, scientific and leadership experience, gained during his 28 years at GSK, to the Medicxi team. In his role as head of R&D at GSK between 2006 and 2014, Dr Slaoui was the architect of a pioneering re-organisation of the Company’s R&D effort, operating through focused discreet discovery performance units (DPUs) in early stage, which competed internally for R&D investment, a unique model amongst Big Pharma at the time.

As a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of both the IL6 and MV1 venture funds, Dr Slaoui has been closely involved with Medicxi (and previously Index Ventures) for many years. As a Partner he will be responsible for sponsoring and supporting investments, undertaking due diligence and valuations for Medicxi’s venture fund MV1 and its growth fund MG1. Where appropriate, he will have an active role in supporting investee companies in their development, including taking board positions.

Commenting on his new role as Partner at Medicxi, Dr Slaoui said: “Having developed a strong relationship with the Medicxi founders over many years, it is an exciting time to join the team, with funds available to invest not only in early stage assets but also to building innovative companies through clinical development and market entry. I am looking forward to making an active contribution to selecting and leading investments, and to supporting ambitious entrepreneurs to develop medicines that ultimately make a difference to patients.”

Medicxi has built a highly experienced team and, through the scientific advisory boards (SABs) of each of its funds, has access to some of the most respected names in the pharma industry. As well as Medicxi’s senior team, now including Dr Slaoui, external members and observers on the SABs to Medicxi’s funds include:

• From Novartis:
  • Dr Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, Global Head of Drug Development, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer Elect
  • Dr Evan Beckman, Global Head of Translational Medicine at NIBR
  • Nigel Sheail, Head of Business Development and Licensing
• From Verily Life Sciences:
  • Dr Andy Conrad, Chief Executive Officer
  • Dr Robert Califf, Advisor and former US FDA Commissioner
• From GSK:
  • Dr Patrick Vallance President, R&D
  • Dr Paul-Peter Tak Senior Vice President R&D Pipeline, Global Development Leader and Chief Immunology Officer
• From Johnson & Johnson:
  • Dr. Paul Stoffels, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer
  • Dr. Bill Hait, Global Head, Janssen Research & Development
  • Dr Patrick Verheyen Global Head, Janssen Business Development

Michèle Ollier, co-founder and Partner at Medicxi, said: “Moncef has made a tremendous contribution through his role on our SABs and we look forward to his continued energetic and insightful contribution as a Partner at Medicxi. Our SAB meetings are challenging, insightful and inspiring, and contribute hugely to how we steer and advise our portfolio companies.”

Dr Slaoui takes on the role as Partner at Medicxi alongside his other board positions: he is Chairman of the board at Galvani Bioelectronics; and on the boards of Artisan Biosciences, Moderna Therapeutics and Sutrovax.

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Notes to Editors

About Medicxi

Medicxi is based in London, Geneva and Jersey. The Company’s mission is to invest across the full healthcare continuum. Medicxi was established by the former Index Ventures life sciences team. Medicxi manages the legacy life science portfolio of Index Ventures as well as the new funds launched as Medicxi, Medicxi Ventures 1 (MV1) and Medicxi Growth 1 (MG1) focusing on early-stage and late-stage investments in life sciences.

GSK, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis, three of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies back Medicxi along with Verily, an Alphabet company. These companies, whilst participating in the SABs of the funds, do not receive any preferential rights to the portfolio companies.

Medicxi’s team has been investing in life sciences for over 20 years and has backed many successful companies, including Genmab (NASDAQ Copenhagen: GEN), PanGenetics (sold to AbbVie), Molecular Partners (SWX: MOLN), XO1 (sold to Janssen) Egalet (NASDAQ: EGLT), Minerva Neurosciences (NASDAQ: NERV) and Versartis (NASDAQ: VSAR).

Please see http://www.medicxi.com/ for more information.