In sad news today, Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:RCE, OTC:RECEF) is mourning the passing of its founder and the inventor of Recce’s technology platform, Dr Graham JH Melrose BSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, FRACI, CChem, FAICD.
Dr Melrose established Recce Pharmaceuticals in 2007, drawing on his combined business and scientific expertise as the original inventor of the company’s technology platform. His pioneering work in polymer chemistry and infectious diseases supported the RECCE® portfolio of new-class anti-infectives and continues to shape the company’s mission and innovation.
Vale Recce founfder and pioneer Dr Graham JH Melrose.
“Dr Melrose was a remarkable innovator whose scientific vision and passion for solving challenges shaped the very essence of Recce. His legacy endures through the breakthrough technology he created, and through the many people he inspired along the way. We remain deeply grateful for his contribution and determined to continue the mission he began,” Recce Pharmaceuticals CEO James Graham said.
The company stated: Recce Pharmaceuticals expresses its deepest gratitude for Dr Melrose’s life, leadership and lasting contributions to global health. His contributions to science and innovation will be long remembered and celebrated.
A pioneer lost
A recognised pioneer and veteran of the biotechnology industry, Dr Melrose enjoyed a distinguished career marked by decades of research and numerous peer-reviewed publications in polymer chemistry. His industry roles included eight years as executive director and head of research at Johnson & Johnson (Asia Pacific).
Dr Melrose also held academic appointments, including Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Organic Chemistry at the University of New South Wales, and served as a visiting research scientist at both Oxford University and the University of Munich.
He founded Recce with a clear mission to address the global health threat of antibiotic resistance. Under his leadership, Recce evolved from a bold concept into a publicly listed company recognised for its unique anti-infective technologies. After steering the company through its formative years and helping secure more than 40 granted patents across major global pharmaceutical markets, Dr Melrose retired from the board in 2021 but remained a committed supporter and the company’s largest shareholder.
A Fellow of both the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Dr Melrose was widely respected for his vision, integrity and scientific curiosity. His legacy of innovation will endure through the next generation of Recce scientists and leaders continuing the work he began.