Motif Bio PLC – Appointment of Andrew Powell to Board of Directors
Motif Bio plc (AIM/Nasdaq: MTFB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialising in developing novel antibiotics,today announced the appointment of Andrew Powell, J.D. as Non-executive Director, effective immediately. Mr. Powell has served as General Counsel at several biotechnology firms, including CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals, Imclone Systems, Cornerstone Therapeutics, Intermune and, most recently, Medivation. His extensive experience in the life sciences industry and strong expertise in commercialisation strategy, corporate expansion, governance, and mergers and acquisitions will provide Motif Bio’s Board of Directors with important skills as the Company moves forward.
Bruce Williams, Interim Chairman of the Board of Motif Bio, said: “I am pleased to welcome Andrew to Motif Bio’s Board of Directors and very much look forward to working with him. Andrew’s experience in preparing companies for the next phase in their growth, be it through partnering or M&A, will be invaluable as Motif Bio evaluates the many opportunities to build on the accomplishments over the last five years.”
Andrew Powell, J.D., said: “I am delighted to join the Motif Bio Board at this important time for the Company. I am impressed with the team and what they have been able to achieve in a short period of time. I look forward to working with the Board and management to build value for Motif Bio shareholders.”
Mr. Powell is currently an independent advisor to small and mid-size companies and research institutions in the life sciences sector. While working in-house, he played a key role in developing ImClone, InterMune and Medivation into focused organizations equipped for global growth and in completing three major deals: the sale of Medivation to Pfizer, the sale of InterMune to Roche and the sale of ImClone to Lilly. While at CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals and Cornerstone Therapeutics, he helped to navigate change and reinvent the companies’ strategies. He began his industry career at Baxter International, where he worked for nearly 15 years in positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Chief International Counsel and Bioscience Division General Counsel.
In addition to Motif Bio, Mr. Powell serves on the Boards of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., Landec Corporation and Synthorx Inc. Mr. Powell attended Winchester College in England, holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has a J.D. from Stanford Law School.