Verona Pharma plc Dr. Martin Edwards Joins Verona Pharma As Non-Executive Director

 
TIDMVRP 
 
   LONDON, March 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verona Pharma plc (AIM: VRP) 
(Nasdaq: VRNA) ("Verona Pharma"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical 
company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies 
for respiratory diseases, announces that Dr. Martin Edwards will join 
the board as a Non-Executive Director, effective from 1 April 2019. 
 
   Dr. Edwards has over three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical 
and venture capital industries. He is currently Senior Partner of Novo 
Holdings, where he has held various positions since 2003. Novo Holdings 
has a shareholding of 11.76% in Verona Pharma. Notwithstanding this, our 
Board of Directors considers Dr. Edwards to be an independent director 
under UK and US corporate governance rules. 
 
   Commenting on the appointment, Dr. David Ebsworth, Chairman of Verona 
Pharma, said: "We are delighted to welcome Martin to our Board. His 
substantial expertise in the sector, along with his unique leadership 
insights and perspective, will be valuable as we continue to advance 
ensifentrine into late-stage clinical development." 
 
   In addition to his role on the Verona Pharma Board, Dr. Edwards is 
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vantia Therapeutics Ltd and a 
member of the Board of Directors of F2G Ltd, Harmony Biosciences Inc, 
Inozyme Pharma Inc, Karus Therapeutics Ltd, Nuvelution Pharma Inc and 
Tarsa Therapeutics Inc. 
 
   From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Edwards was CEO of ReNeuron Holdings plc and 
completed the company's initial public offering in 2000. Previously, he 
was Corporate VP and Global Head of Drug Development for Novo Nordisk 
A/S, where he led all aspects of pre-clinical and clinical drug 
development. Earlier in his career, he worked as VP Pharmacology and 
Medical Affairs of ZymoGenetics Inc and as Senior VP for Medical Affairs 
at Novo Nordisk USA. 
 
   Dr. Edwards trained in physiology and medicine at the University of 
Manchester. He is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians, a Member 
with distinction of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a Fellow 
of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine and holds a MBA from the 
University of Warwick. 
 
   Schedule Two information regarding Dr. Martin Edwards 
 
   Martin William Edwards (62) holds or has held the following 
directorships and partnerships in the last five years: 
 
 
 
 
Current Directorships memberships:                      Past Directorships memberships: 
 F2G Ltd, Harmony Biosciences Inc, Inozyme Pharma Inc,   Acacia Pharma Group, CoLucid Inc, 
 Karus Therapeutics Ltd, Nuvelution Pharma Inc, Tarsa    E3 Bio Ltd, Funxional Therapeutics Ltd, KalVista Pharmaceuticals 
 Therapeutics Inc, Vantia Therapeutics Ltd               Ltd (now Inc), NeRRe Therapeutics Ltd, Stargazer Pharmaceuticals 
                                                         Ltd 
 
 
 
   Except for the information disclosed above, there is no other 
information in relation to Dr. Edwards required to be disclosed pursuant 
to Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies. 
 
   About Verona Pharma and ensifentrine 
 
   Verona Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on 
developing and commercializing innovative therapies for the treatment of 
respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Verona 
Pharma's product candidate, ensifentrine, is an investigational 
first-in-class, inhaled, dual inhibitor of the enzymes phosphodiesterase 
3 and 4 that is designed to act as both a bronchodilator and an 
anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound. Ensifentrine has been 
studied via the nebulized route of administration in clinical trials 
involving more than 800 subjects. The nebulized formulation of 
ensifentrine has significantly improved lung function, including 
enhanced peak FEV(1) , reduced lung hyperinflation and faster 
onset-of-action when used alone or as an add-on treatment to some of the 
most commonly used COPD therapies, including tiotropium (Spiriva(R) ), 
tiotropium/olodaterol fixed-dose combination, ipratropium, and 
albuterol. In addition, ensifentrine has shown anti-inflammatory effects 
in a standard challenge study with COPD-like inflammation in humans. 
Ensifentrine was well tolerated in these trials. Verona Pharma is 
developing ensifentrine for the treatment of COPD, cystic fibrosis and 
asthma. 
 
   For further information, please contact: 
 
 
 
 
Verona Pharma plc                                  Tel: [phone] 
Jan-Anders Karlsson, Chief Executive Officer       [e-mail] 
Victoria Stewart, Director of Communications 
 
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nominated Adviser  Tel: [phone] 
 and UK Broker) 
Stewart Wallace / Jonathan Senior / Ben Maddison 
 
FTI Consulting (UK Media and Investor enquiries)   Tel: [phone] 
Simon Conway / Natalie Garland-Collins             [e-mail] 
 
ICR, Inc. (US Media and Investor enquiries) 
Darcie Robinson                                    Tel: [phone] 
                                                    [e-mail] 
Stephanie Carrington                               Tel. [phone] 
                                                    [e-mail] 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 21, 2019 03:00 ET (07:00 GMT)

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