Faron Pharmaceuticals Limited (AIM:FARN), the Finnish clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has appointed Heikki Jouttijärvi as chief technical officer as it prepares to advance its lead cancer drug candidate into a phase IIb clinical trial.
Jouttijärvi brings extensive experience in biopharma manufacturing, supply chain management and commercial operations, having most recently served as senior vice president of commercial business operations at Adverum Biotechnologies, which was acquired by Eli Lilly.
He has also held global roles at Menlo Therapeutics and Santen Pharmaceutical, and holds a master's degree in pharmacy from the University of Helsinki.
Chief executive Juho Jalkanen said Jouttijärvi's background in commercial operations and supply chain management for late-stage and approved drugs would be valuable as the company progresses its lead asset, bexmarilimab, into a phase IIb trial in high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR MDS), a type of blood cancer.
Bexmarilimab is an investigational immunotherapy designed to reprogram immune cells within tumours, helping the body's immune system identify and attack cancer cells.