Arix Bioscience PLC (LON:ARIX) has said its entrepreneur-in-residence, Christian Schetter has been appointed managing director of the venture capital company alongside Jonathan Tobin.
Schetter, who brings with him 20 years’ industry experience, said he hoped to move the company to its “next stage of growth” in his new role.
He joined Arix last year and before that was chief executive of Rigontec, an immuno-oncology company he sold Merck.
He is also currently executive chairman of STipe Therapeutics and a non-executive director of Aura Biosciences, both Arix portfolio companies.
In a statement, Arix chairman Naseem Amin said: “Christian brings a rare combination of scientific, strategic and transactional experience. Christian’s successful track record as a builder of biotech companies and realisation of their value to shareholders is a tremendous asset to Arix, our portfolio companies and our investors.”
His elevation was one of three significant changes the group announced, which also included the establishment of both a scientific advisory board (SAB) and a board investment committee (BIC).
The newly-formed SAB, which will advise on “priority investment decisions”, will be chaired by Arix independent director, Professor Trevor Jones, a former research and development director at the Wellcome Foundation. His team of heavy-hitters also includes:
- Ruth Atherton, executive sponsor of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Access Team
- Andreas Busch, former head of R&D and chief scientific officer at Shire
- Professor KJ Patel, director of the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and MRC Molecular Haematology Unit in Oxford
“These high calibre individuals share Arix’s vision of addressing significant unmet needs in healthcare and provide multi-disciplinary expertise in key areas that are intrinsic to successful drug development and value creation,” the company said.
The board investment committee, meanwhile, has been set up to “ensure greater engagement and oversight by the board in management team decision-making” and builds on the board changes made in April.
It will be chaired by Amin and will include two non-executive directors.