F2G Ltd, the UK-based anti-fungal drug discovery and development company, today announced the appointment of John H. Rex, MD, FACP to the position of Chief Medical Officer, effective from 2nd November 2016.
Dr Rex is a distinguished research scientist and a key opinion leader in the field of infectious disease therapy, in particular anti-fungal agents. He held the position of Senior Vice President and Head of Infection, Global Medicines Development at AstraZeneca until October 2016. Prior to joining AstraZeneca in 2003, Dr Rex was Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
Dr Rex has been the Industry Representative on the US FDA Anti-Infective Drug Advisory Committee (2007-2011), has served as Chair of the Consensus Committee on Microbiology for the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS), is a member of the Wellcome Trust Seeding Drug Discovery Committee, was formerly an Editor for Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and currently serves on several editorial boards. He holds a BA in Biochemistry from Rice University as well as an MD from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. Dr Rex has served as a non-executive director of F2G since September 2012 and is an Operating Partner at Advent Life Sciences.
Ian Nicholson, Chief Executive Officer, F2G Ltd commented: “John’s guidance and insight have been instrumental in shaping F2G’s development and regulatory strategy. We are delighted that he is now able to increase his commitment to the company as we progress our new class of anti-fungal agents into our next clinical trials.”
John Rex added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work more closely with F2G as we take the first orotomide anti-fungal forward through Phase 2 and Phase 3. Just as with antibacterial resistance, anti-fungal resistance is a growing threat and F2G’s discovery of an entirely novel class of IV/PO anti-fungal agent is a key part of the global response to this challenge.”
About F2G Ltd: F2G is a world-leading UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies to treat life threatening invasive fungal infections, with experienced management & board.
F2G has discovered and developed a completely new class of anti-fungal agents called the orotomides. The orotomides are active against Aspergillus and other rare and resistant moulds and act via a completely different mechanism than currently marketed anti-fungal agents. Due to their new mechanism of action, orotomides are active against fungal infections resistant to current therapies, a growing problem globally. A limited Phase II study for F901318 is planned imminently with pivotal registration trials in Invasive Aspergillosis planned for 2017 based on an accelerated regulatory pathway agreed with the relevant agencies. F901318 is being developed both as IV and oral formulations and promises to have a safe and well-tolerated profile. The company recently announced a $60 million financing to develop its pipeline of novel therapies to treat life threatening invasive fungal infections.