CAMBRIDGE, England, November 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Life Sciences Leader to Guide Company through its Next Growth Phase and Product Launch in 2018 

The Board of Directors of PLAQUETEC LTD ('PlaqueTec') today announced the appointment of Annalisa Jenkins, MBBS, FRCP, as the company's Chief Executive Officer.  Dr. Jenkins, most recently CEO of U.S.-based Dimension Therapeutics, will lead the 2018 launch of the pioneering biomarker-based PlaqueTec Liquid Biopsy System™ (LBS). The much anticipated LBS is designed to improve risk assessment and facilitate earlier intervention in the management of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death worldwide.

"Dr. Jenkins is a passionate and energetic leader with a proven track record of successfully translating exciting science from bench to bedside," said Jon Moynihan, chairman of PlaqueTec and principal of Ipex Capital, PlaqueTec's major investor. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jenkins to PlaqueTec at an important time for the company, as we will surely benefit from her extensive expertise in growing both private and public companies in the life sciences industry."

The PlaqueTec LBS™ is the first product approved in the European Union for collecting biomarkers directly associated with plaques within coronary arteries, as a means to assess -- and potentially resolve -- residual inflammatory risk. It is the first and only liquid biopsy catheter that can be deployed at the site of coronary plaque to assess risk. The company has completed two proof-of-concept studies and is gearing up to supply product for CAD researchers and doctors.

"I look forward to working with the highly accomplished Leadership Team and Board of Directors at PlaqueTec to help advance the study and launch of its pioneering system through increased academic and biopharma collaborations," Dr. Jenkins commented. "Since the beginning of the statin era, we have long suspected a residual risk of inflammation in the coronary arteries. I am therefore excited to help advance technology that will promote the use of predictive biomarkers to enable more thorough risk assessment and early intervention in patients with coronary artery disease, a benefit that will also facilitate the identification and development of new therapies and improve patient outcomes."

Dr. Jenkins began her career as a medical officer with the British Royal Navy during the Gulf conflict, rising to the rank of Surgeon Lieutenant Commander. She graduated in medicine from St. Bartholomew's Hospital London and trained in cardiovascular medicine in the NHS. She has over 25 years of global life sciences industry experience, during which time she has built and led numerous companies that have advanced programmes from scientific research through clinical development, regulatory approval, commercialisation, and healthcare system adoption.

Prior to joining Dimension Therapeutics, where Dr. Jenkins successfully financed the company's operations through its IPO, oversaw global research and development, and its recent acquisition by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc., she served as Executive Vice President, Head of Global Research and Development for Merck Serono. She also had a nearly 15-year successful career at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), attaining the role of Senior Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs. During her tenure at BMS, Dr. Jenkins played a key role in the development, approval, and commercialisation of products in multiple therapeutic areas, including cardiology, immuno-oncology, immunology, and infectious diseases. 

Dr. Jenkins chairs the boards of Vium and Silence Therapeutics and is a Director on the boards of OncoSec, Ardelyx, iOx, Cocoon, and Thrombolytic Science International (TSI), LLC. She is also a committee member of the Science Board to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), serves on the board of the Center for Talent Innovation (UK), and is on the Advisory Panel of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association.

About Coronary Artery Disease  

Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, usually caused by a build-up of cholesterol in fatty deposits (plaques) within the inner walls of the arteries. Plaques, which also comprise other substances such as inflammatory cells, cellular breakdown products, proteins and calcium, can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle by physically narrowing the artery or by causing abnormal artery function.  An inadequate blood supply can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Plaque deposits within coronary arteries can also rupture, causing blood clots.  If a clot does not break apart it may suddenly block the blood supply to the heart muscle, causing an acute coronary syndrome and potentially death.

About PlaqueTec Ltd 

PlaqueTec was formed in 2008 within Papworth Hospital in Cambridge (UK), as a spinout from PA Consulting. With funding from IPEX Capital and guidance from a strong network of scientific advisors and clinicians, the company has developed the first-of-its-kind PlaqueTec Liquid Biopsy System™ (LBS), a platform technology that enables unparalleled resolution of the processes that lead to coronary artery disease (CAD). Since 2012, PlaqueTec has validated its LBS device in two clinical studies and identified numerous biomarkers that are associated with CAD. The company is using these biomarkers to build a database to provide a better understanding of CAD that can be used by clinicians, researchers, and biopharmaceutical companies to conduct translational research and develop next-generation personalised therapies. The LBS is not approved for use in the U.S.

For further information about PlaqueTec and CAD, please visit http://www.plaquetec.com. 

SOURCE PlaqueTec