VALBIOTIS Appoints Josep INFESTA, International Expert in Consumer Healthcare, Head of Global Business Development

LA ROCHELLE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

VALBIOTIS (FR0013254851 - ALVAL / eligible PEA/PME), a French research and development company committed to scientific innovation for preventing and combating metabolic diseases, today announced the appointment of Josep INFESTA as Head of Global Business Development¹. He will lead the development and negotiations of partnerships with players specialized in health, to introduce VALEDIA^® for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in prediabetic populations. His proven marketing expertise will enable VALBIOTIS to determine the scope of the target markets for VALEDIA^® in Europe, the United States and Canada. Phase IIA results for VALEDIA in prediabetes are expected in mid-2019, with a launch objective set for 2021.

Josep INFESTA will be supported in his missions by a dedicated team of AEC Partners, a firm specializing in life sciences for market access, licensing and strategy consulting. This team of AEC Partners will be under the direct coordination of Jordi ESCLUSA, co-founder of the firm.

“The VALBIOTIS project has a revolutionary approach to address the prediabetes market. TOTUM-63 (active ingredient of VALEDIA^®), has demonstrated a clear benefit in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. As a result, it would become the first health product targeting prediabetes, a condition that affects 86 million people in the United States² and more than 80 million in Europe³. I am pleased to bring complementary skills and knowledge of the Consumer Healthcare markets in Europe and the United States to the VALBIOTIS team,” Josep INFESTA comments.

“Josep INFESTA is a leader whose business expertise and international network are considerable assets for VALBIOTIS. Within only five years, we have developed an innovative scientific model that is addressing the major epidemics of diabetes and metabolic disorders. 2019 will be an opportunity for VALBIOTIS to demonstrate the clinical efficacy and economic relevance of our approach focused on prevention. This partnership with Josep and AEC reflects our commitment to work to transform VALEDIA^®‘s scientific potential into a solution for prediabetic populations and a success for the company,” Sébastien PELTIER, CEO of VALBIOTIS comments.

In 2019, VALBIOTIS will also be keen to advance the other programs of its pipeline, in line with its ambition: to develop a new class of products dedicated to reducing the risk of major metabolic pathologies, based on a multi-target approach enabled by the use of plants.

Josep INFESTA:

Josep INFESTA, Medicine Degree and MBA (ESADE, Spain), has built a 25-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, in international and local marketing, strategy, business development and general management positions. He began his career as a health consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in 1993, before joining Warner-Lambert Consumer Healthcare in 1994 as product manager in Spain. He then led marketing and commercial responsibilities in Spain, Portugal and the United States. From 2001 to 2007, he was Regional General Manager of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare France & Benelux. When Johnson & Johnson (J&J) purchased this business, he became head of the Spain-Portugal subsidiary before being appointed Vice President of the J&J OTC World franchise in the United States. In 2012, he joined Sanofi’s Consumer Healthcare division, in charge of business development, then business Europe, before creating the new communication and marketing excellence function in 2016. In 2017, he founded his strategy consulting company, IZ3, based on this experience.

ABOUT VALBIOTIS

VALBIOTIS is a French Research & Development company committed to scientific innovation for preventing and combating metabolic diseases. Its products are intended for the food industry and pharmaceutical industry. VALBIOTIS particularly focuses on solutions to prevent type 2 diabetes, NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

VALBIOTIS was founded in La Rochelle in early 2014 and has formed numerous partnerships with top academic centers in France and abroad, including La Rochelle University, the CNRS and Clermont Auvergne University located in Clermont-Ferrand. These partnerships have enabled Valbiotis to benefit from strong financial leverage, particularly thanks to experts and technical partners who support its projects. The Company has established three sites in France – Périgny, La Rochelle (17) and Riom (63) – and an American office in Boston (MA).

VALBIOTIS is a member of the “BPI Excellence” network and received the “Innovative Company” status accorded by BPI France. VALBIOTIS has also been awarded “Young Innovative Company” status and has received major financial support from the European Union for its research programs by obtaining support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Find out more about VALBIOTIS: www.valbiotis.com

Name: VALBIOTIS
ISIN code: FR0013254851
Mnemonic code: ALVAL

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¹ External Consultant IZ3 Consulting
² Center for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2018, www.cdc.gov/features/prediabetes-awareness-campaign/index.html
³ Eades C et al., The European Journal of Public Health, 2016

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