Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF), a company developing immunotherapies to treat cancer, has appointed Dr Phil L'Huillier as its new chief executive.
He will officially join the company on November 18. Until then, Professor Lindy Durrant will continue as CEO, after which she will focus solely on the role of chief scientific officer.
L'Huillier brings 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining Scancell, he was the CEO of CatalYm, a cancer immunotherapy company in Germany, where he helped secure over $200 million in funding and advanced its key treatment programmes.
He also held senior positions at Merck Sharp & Dohme, overseeing business development across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and played an important role at Cancer Research Technology, a subsidiary of Cancer Research UK.
Chairman, Dr Jean-Michel Cosséry, said: "Phil is an accomplished, results-driven leader with a proven track record in developing and commercialising novel cancer therapeutics.
"We look forward to drawing on his deep understanding of the biopharmaceutical industry, as well as his substantial experience in the immunotherapy space as we progress towards near-term value-generating inflexion points."
Durrant reflected on her tenure as CEO, noting that her primary goal when she assumed the role three years ago was to ensure the company’s discoveries were evaluated in clinical trials.
She highlighted that Scancell is now successfully conducting studies for its melanoma treatment SCIB1/iSCIB1+ and its Modi-1 therapy for various solid tumours.
Additionally, the company's anti-glycan antibody platform is showing promising results, with potential for revenue-generating partnerships and rapid progression into clinical studies.
Durrant said: "I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside such talented and dedicated individuals and I look forward to supporting Phil and Scancell as CSO as the company continues to grow and lead the development of its vaccine and antibody platforms."