Released : Apr 04, 2018

RNS Number : 7090J

Tiziana Life Sciences PLC

04 April 2018

 

Tiziana Life Sciences plc

("Tiziana" or the "Company")

 

Appointment of Director

Leopoldo Zambeletti joins the Board as non-executive director
with responsibility for strategic development and expansion of the current management team

 

London, 4 April 2018 - Tiziana Life Sciences plc (AIM: TILS), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing targeted drugs for cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announces that Mr Leopoldo Zambeletti has agreed to join the Board as a non-executive director with responsibility for strategic development. Mr Zambeletti will also chair the Nomination Committee.

 

During a 19 year career as an investment banker, Mr Zambeletti led the European Healthcare Investment Banking team at J.P. Morgan for eight years before taking up the same position at Credit Suisse for a further five years. Since 2013 he has been an independent strategic advisor to life science companies on merger and acquisitions, out-licensing deals and financing strategy. He is a non-executive director of, Qardio Inc., Summit Therapeutics plc, Nogra Pharma Limited, Faron Pharmaceuticals OY and DS Biopharma Limited. Mr. Zambeletti started his career at KPMG as an auditor. Mr. Zambeletti received a B.A. in Business from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. He serves as a trustee to Barts and the London Charity, which helps to fund the hospitals of the Barts NHS Trust including St Bartholomew, the Royal London and the London Chest Hospitals. He is the founder of the cultural initiative 5x5 Italy.

 

With immediate effect the following changes will take place with respect to the Company's board committees:

 

The Remuneration Committee will continue to be chaired by Riccardo Dalla-Favera, the other members will now comprise Leopoldo Zambeletti and Willy Simon.

 

The Audit, Risk and Disclosure Committee will continue to be chaired by Willy Simon, the other members will now comprise Leopoldo Zambeletti and Riccardo Dalla-Favera.

 

The Nomination Committee will now be chaired by Leopoldo Zambeletti and the other members will now comprise Gabriele Cerrone and Willy Simon.

 

Dr Kunwar Shailubhai will stand down from all committee positions given his role as chief executive officer and chief scientific officer.

 

Gabriele Cerrone, Chairman and founder commented:

 

"The Company is now at a stage where we are moving into the clinic and hoping to rapidly advance several programs; we have achieved this with a very small permanent staff and as we advance operationally we will need to create a clear order of priorities, make additional hires and refine our operational strategy.

 

Leopoldo has agreed to join us to help with the next stage of our development and I believe that his track-record and affiliations speak for themselves, not least his directorship with Advanced Accelerator Application SA (NASDAQ: AAAP), which was recently sold to Novartis for US$3.9 billion, and his having advised on the largest licencing deal at the time between Nogra Pharma Limited and Celgene. In my opinion we could not have found an individual better placed to refine and direct strategic development for the Company and I am delighted that he has agreed to join us on our journey into the next, fundamental and critical stage of the life of the Company.

 

I also welcome the opportunity that this strong addition to our non-executive team brings to refine our corporate governance model and achieve full separation of our executive and non-executive teams."

 

Regulatory disclosures

Leopoldo Zambeletti, aged 49, is or has been a director of the following companies over the past five years:

Current directorships	Past directorships (>5 years)
Advanced Accelerator Applications SA Faron Pharmaceuticals OY DS Biopharma Limited Barts Charity Espalter Ibiza S.L. Nogra Pharma Limited Qardio Inc. Summit Therapeutics plc Zambeletti Limited Powis Gardens Limited	None

Mr Zambeletti does not currently own ordinary shares in the Company.

There are no other matters to be disclosed in relation to Schedule 2, paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Contacts

 

Tiziana Life Sciences plc Gabriele Cerrone, Chairman and founder	+44 (0)20 7493 2853
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated adviser) Liam Murray / Jo Turner	+44 (0)20 7213 0880

About Tiziana

 

Tiziana is a UK biotechnology company that focuses on the discovery and development of novel molecules that treat human disease in oncology and immunology. The Company is focused on its lead compound milciclib. The Company is also in clinical development of foralumab. Foralumab is the only fully human engineered human anti-CD3 antibody in clinical development. This phase II compound has potential application in a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBS), ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes (T1D), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, where modulation of a T-cell response is desirable.

 

For more information go to http://www.tizianalifesciences.com 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

 

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