Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd appointed Juho Jalkanen as its chief operating officer where he will focus on accelerating the development of its wholly-owned precision cancer immunotherapy candidate.
The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, which aims to harness the power of the immune system to tackle cancer and inflammation, said Jalkanen will lead business strategy and daily operations.
His appointment is effective immediately, moving from his current role as chief development officer and interim chief medical officer.
The new role will be based in Turku, Finland, and include oversight of academic and industry partnerships, resource prioritisation and allocation, chemistry, manufacturing and controls, supply chain, and driving performance measures, Faron said.
The company said it also intends to recruit a chief business or commercial officer, based in its US office, to support the negotiation and execution of business development transactions such as fundraising, drug candidate licensing, and other potential partnerships.
Lead immunotherapy candidate Bexmarilimab is in development as a potential monotherapy in patients with solid tumours.
"Dr Jalkanen is an experienced biopharmaceutical industry executive with extensive leadership experience across key functional areas including operations, business development, clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs," Markku Jalkanen, chief executive officer, said.
Jalkanen, who has a master´s degree in economics and business administration and a PhD from the University of Turku, joined the company in 2018.