REG - ValiRx PLC - Directorate Change

ValiRxAnnouncement

12/08/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 9862Z  ValiRx PLC  12 August 2024

ValiRx plc

 

("ValiRx" or the "Company")

 

Directorate Change

 

ValiRx plc (the "Company") (AIM: VAL), a life sciences company focusing on
early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health, is pleased to announce
that further to the announcement on 25 July 2024, Dr Mark Eccleston has been
appointed to the Board as Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Company
announces that Dr Suzanne Dilly will step down from the Board with effect from
the 15 August 2024.

 

We would like to thank Suzy for her service over the last 4 years joining the
board at a very critical time. Stepping up to the position of CEO after
serving as Chief Scientific Officer, she successfully refocussed the strategy
of the Company from clinical to preclinical staged assets, sourced and
acquired additional research projects, built a new scientific laboratory and
team and presided over successive fundraises in order to stabilise and grow
the Company.

 

Mark Eccleston

 

Mark has worked as a scientific consultant and served on both the Commercial
and Scientific Advisory Boards of ValiRx and Inaphaea gaining comprehensive
knowledge of the Company's development programmes.

 

With over 30 years' experience working in translation science in both drug and
biomarker development, Mark is a former BBSRC Enterprise fellow and holds an
MBA (Entrepreneurship). He is an inventor of 26 published patents ranging from
peptide and CAR-T cell therapies to nucleosome enrichment as well as
biodegradable chewing gum.

 

Mark is the Managing Director of OncoLytika Ltd, a UK based technology
consultancy company with a successful track record of securing grant funding
(close to €3 million in Eurostar funding), strategic business development
and client project management. He is also a scientific founder of several
companies, including Volition, US listed biomarker company established as a
spin out from ValiRx which reached a peak valuation of over $250 million. Mark
currently serves as an independent scientific advisor supporting Nu.Q®️
Discover services and sits on Volition's Scientific Advisory Board as well as
being a shareholder.

 

In addition to his commercial activities, Mark has supervised multiple
industry funded PhD and Masters students at various universities, including
the Open University, Greenwich University and DKFZ in Germany. He also serves
as an external advisor to the Open University, contributing to modules focused
on employability of biosciences graduates and employer expectations from
graduates in terms of bioinformatics training.

 

Pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, the
following information is disclosed in respect of Mark Edward Eccleston (aged
53):

 

 Current Directorships  Previous Directorships held in the past five years
 OncoLytika Ltd         None

 

Mark Eccleston has a deemed beneficial interest in 1,976,957 ordinary shares
("Total Shareholding") representing approximately 1.49 per cent. of the
Company's issued share capital and 50,000 options over new ordinary shares in
the Company. Of the Total Shareholding 1,000,000 ordinary shares are held by
Mark Eccleston's partner.

 

There is no further information regarding Dr Mark Eccleston required to be
disclosed under the AIM Rules.

 

Martin Gouldstone, Chairman of ValiRx commented "I am looking forward to
working with Mark in his new capacity as CEO of ValiRx to help with the
strategy and in driving the success of the business from the existing
foundations."

 

Mark Eccleston, CEO of ValiRx commented "I am excited to be appointed as Group
Chief Executive Officer of ValiRx Plc. As a long standing shareholder, I look
forward to leading our team towards our shared objective of creating long
term-term shareholder value."

 

 

 

The Directors of the Company take responsibility for this announcement.

 

 

*** ENDS ***

 

For more information, please contact:

 

 ValiRx plc                                        Tel: +44 (0) 115 784 0026

                                                   www.valirx.com

 Dr Mark Eccleston, CEO                            info@valirx.com (mailto:mark.eccleston@valirx.com)

 V Formation (Public Relations)                    +44 (0) 115 787 0206

                                                   www.vformation.biz (http://www.vformation.biz/)

 Lucy Wharton - Senior PR Executive

 Sue Carr - Director                               lucy@vformation.biz

                                                   sue@vformation.biz
 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated Adviser)  Tel: +44 (0) 20 7213 0880

 Liam Murray/Jo Turner/Ludovico Lazzaretti

 Shard Capital Partners LLP (Sole Broker)          Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9000

 Damon Heath

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

About ValiRx

 

ValiRx is a life science company focused on early-stage cancer therapeutics
and women's health, accelerating the translation of innovative science into
impactful medicines to improve patient lives.

ValiRx provides the scientific, financial, and commercial framework for
enabling rapid translation of innovative science into clinical development.

Using its extensive and proven experience in research and drug development,
the team at ValiRx selects and incubates promising novel drug candidates and
guides them through an optimised process of development, from pre-clinical
studies to clinic and investor-ready assets.

ValiRx connects diverse disciplines across scientific, technical, and
commercial domains, with the aim of achieving a more streamlined, less costly,
drug development process. The team works closely with carefully selected
collaborators and leverages the combined expertise required for science to
advance.

Lead candidates from ValiRx's portfolio are outlicensed or partnered with
investors through ValiRx subsidiary companies for further clinical development
and commercialisation.

ValiRx listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2006
and trades under the ticker symbol: VAL.

For further information, visit: www.valirx.com (http://www.valirx.com/)

 

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