LONDON, October 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Arix Bioscience plc (Arix Bioscience), a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation, announced today that it had appointed Dr Franz B Humer as its Senior Independent Director.

Dr Humer is one of the pharmaceutical industry's most respected executives. He served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Hoffmann-La Roche and Roche Holding AG over a period of 16 years until 2014. Dr Humer is currently Chairman of Diageo plc and a Non-Executive Director of Citigroup Inc., Kite Pharma Inc. and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co.

Jonathan Peacock, Chairman of Arix Bioscience, said: "We are delighted to welcome to the Board a director of Franz's stature. His experience and judgement will be a tremendous asset to Arix Bioscience as we continue to support emerging and innovative companies globally. Franz further strengthens a very experienced board of executive and non-executive directors."

Dr Humer said: "Arix Bioscience offers a much needed new approach to supporting innovation in our industry. Its team has outstanding breadth of expertise in nurturing promising start ups, broad operating skills and a strong track record in creating and developing successful companies in the healthcare and life science sector with scope to offer significant patient benefit. I look forward to working with the Board and supporting the executive team in building the Arix business and helping to realise substantial value for shareholders."

About Arix Bioscience plc and Group 

Arix Bioscience plc is a global healthcare and life science company. Headquartered in London and with an office in New York, Arix Bioscience sources and develops businesses addressing medical innovation at all stages of development and is supported with access to breakthrough academic science.

Arix Bioscience was founded by prominent figures in the international healthcare and life science sectors; Dr Joe Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Peacock, Chairman, and Professor Sir Christopher Evans, OBE. The Company's board also includes: Sir John Banham, Lord Hutton of Furness, Professor Trevor Jones and Dr David U'Prichard.

Arix Bioscience has supported a range of businesses internationally including Autolus Limited, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of next-generation engineered T-cell therapies for haematological and solid tumours, BioMotiv LLC, a US-based therapeutic research accelerator organisation providing access to pioneering science in leading universities, Verona Pharma plc, a drug development company focused on first-in-class medicines to treat respiratory diseases, Artios, a company specialising in DNA Damage Response and Optikira, a company developing drugs to fight blindness.  

Further information: http://www.arixbioscience.com

For more information, please contact:  

Arix Bioscience UK 

20 Berkeley Square
London W1J 6EQ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20-7290-1050

Arix Bioscience US 

250 West 55th Street, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
United States
+1 (646) 357-3700

Consilium Strategic Communications 

Mary-Jane Elliott, Jessica Hodgson, Ivar Milligan
Tel: +44 (0)20-3709-5700
Email: Arix@consilium-comms.com

SOURCE Arix Bioscience