Oxford BioTherapeutics Appoints C. Glenn Begley as a Senior Clinical Advisor and Non-executive Director

OXFORD, England, January 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) today announces that it has appointed C. Glenn Begley as a senior clinical advisor and non-executive director.  Dr Begley, who was the Vice President and Global Head of Hematology and Oncology Research at Amgen, will take on a key role in helping shape and execute OBT's clinical and corporate strategy as it advances its pipeline of oncology antibody-based drugs into clinical development.

C. Glenn Begley has over 10 years of experience in leading the strategy and co-ordination of Oncology Research at Amgen, and brings extensive knowledge and expertise to OBT at an exciting phase in the company's development.  As Vice-President and Global Head of Hematology and Oncology at Amgen, Dr Begley was responsible for advancing 24 molecules into clinical development, including several human monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates.

Before joining Amgen in 2002, Dr Begley also gained over 20 years of clinical experience in medical oncology and haematology. He has held several academic positions including Executive Director at the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research, and Senior Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.  He is also Board Certified in Australia as a Medical Oncologist and Haematologist (F.R.A.C.P.), and Laboratory Haematologist (F.R.C.P.A., Australia; F.R.C. Path, United Kingdom) and holds a PhD in cellular and molecular biology.

Dr Begley commented, "I am excited by this unique opportunity to join a high-calibre team at a rapidly advancing biotech company with an impressive pipeline of preclinical cancer programs and network of collaborators / licensing partners.  I look forward to working with the company's senior management team and board of directors as OBT realises its goal of transforming the targeted treatment of cancer by successfully driving its pipeline of antibody-based therapeutics into the clinic."

Dr Christian Rohlff, CEO of OBT, commented, "I am delighted to welcome Glenn to OBT.  His wealth of relevant clinical and commercial expertise in the oncology and antibody field will be instrumental in helping OBT to transition into a successful clinical development organisation as the company works to enhance the future treatment prospects for cancer patients with no treatment."

Today's announcement follows OBT's recent collaboration with Seattle Genetics, Inc. for the development of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer, highlighting OBT's growing recognition in the ADC field.  

About OGAP®

The Oxford Genome Anatomy Project (OGAP®) database represents one of the world's largest proprietary collections of disease-associated proteins. OGAP® oncology contains proteomic data on over 7,500 cancer membrane proteins combined with genomic and clinical information derived from human blood and cancer tissue studies. OGAP® contains proprietary target information on three-quarters of the entire human proteome. Almost two million human protein fragments have been sequenced in OGAP® in 50 different human tissues representing 60 diseases, including 25 forms of cancer. OGAP® integrates data covering 17,000 different genes and over eight million genetic variants (SNPs and haplotypes).

About Oxford BioTherapeutics

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) is a leading international biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based cancer medicines, with integrated diagnostics, against novel targets that it has discovered in its unique OGAP® proteomic database. OBT accesses leading antibody technologies and expertise through its partnerships with many of the world leaders in antibody development, including BMS (Medarex), Amgen, Alere (formerly Biosite) and BioWa, and through its development alliances with GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi. OBT's diagnostic collaboration with Alere also provides the opportunity to develop tailored diagnostics for OBT's therapeutic products. These partnerships have enabled OBT to convert its world leading capabilities in the discovery of novel oncology targets into a highly attractive pipeline of therapeutic antibodies. OBT's pipeline aims to deliver innovative and cost-effective first-in-class medicines to fulfil major unmet patient needs in the field of cancer.

For further information, please see http://www.OxfordBioTherapeutics.com

Oxford BioTherapeutics Inquiries:

Chief Executive Officer:    
Christian Rohlff, Ph.D.    
+44(0)1235-861770
E-mail cr@oxbt.co.uk   
     
Media inquiries:    

David Dible    
+44(0)207-6389571
Citigate    
E-mail david.dible@citigatedr.co.uk