Global bio-nanotech company pSivida has appointed Paul Ashton as managing director of pSivida. He will be located at the pSivida head office in Boston, US.
Ashton's appointment is part of a program of consolidation of management and increased focus of operations instituted by the board of directors, the firm says. Roger Brimblecombe, chairman of the board, will retire from service to pSivida.
Ashton was most recently the company's executive director of strategy, and his appointment follows the announcement in late December 2006 that the company had entered into an exclusive three months negotiation with a large global pharmaceutical company to license pSivida's drug delivery technologies.
In related news at pSivida, David Mazzo will assume a new role as non-executive chairman. Mazzo is currently president and ceo of Chugai Pharma USA, a subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Company (Japan), part of the Roche group of companies.
Mazzo is recognised for his strong scientific and regulatory expertise and broad technical and managerial experience gained from working in a variety of multi-cultural and multi-lingual environments in the USA, Europe and Asia.
These appointments, together with the recent re-appointment of Roger Aston as a non-executive direc-tor to the pSivida board, are expected to facilitate the various funding and licensing initiatives that are being pursued by the firm.