Verona Pharma, a UK drug development company focused on medicines to treat respiratory diseases, has appointed Kenneth Newman to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer, with effect from 1 January 2015.
The company has also announced the incorporation of its fully owned US subsidiary Verona Pharma, Inc. Newman will be based in the US and provide his expertise to support the company’s global activities.
The Board believes a US presence will be of benefit in facilitating the company’s development and commercialisation plans for its lead pipeline drug, RPL554, which is currently in Phase II development.
Newman will join Verona Pharma from Mesoblast, a regenerative medicine company, where he was Chief Development Officer and Head of Global Clinical Development. Prior to that, between 2010 and 2013, he was Chief Medical Officer and EVP of Acton Pharmaceuticals.
From 2006–2009, Newman was VP, Medical Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim. Prior to this, from 1997–2006, he held a number of positions of increasing seniority within the Clinical Development and Medical Affairs Departments at Forest Laboratories (now Actavis), culminating in Executive Director, Clinical Development.
