29th July 2013

Professor Trevor Jones CBE appointed chairman of Simbec Research

Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales July 2013; Simbec Research is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof Trevor M Jones CBE as non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prof Jones was formerly Group R&D Director of Wellcome and Director General of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

Prof Jones joins the Board following the recent acquisition of the Company through investment from the Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund (WLSIF) along with Prof Sir Chris Evans and Simbec’s executive Directors Howard Jenkins and Dr Trevor Tanner. The acquisition, concluded in May this year, was the first investment of the newly created £100m WLSIF managed by Arthurian Life Sciences. Prof Sir Chris Evans, from Arthurian and Chairman of the Welsh Life Sciences Hub said “We are delighted that Prof Trevor Jones has agreed to be the new Chairman of Simbec Research which has a proven successful track record over 30 years in providing key clinical research expertise to global and UK based pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This investment is a clear statement of the confidence we have in the future of Life Sciences in Wales. Prof Jones brings to the Board his wide, international understanding of pharmaceutical and biotech R&D, proven leadership skills and we are confident that Simbec can continue to grow.”

Prof Jones is well known internationally for his activities in clinical research and drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry. He has served on many Committees including the UK Government Medicines Commission, Chair of the UK Genetics Advisory Board, the Council of King’s College London an as a Commissioner at The World Health Organisation (WHO). He is a member of several Boards of Pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the USA and has received honorary Doctorates/Gold medals from six universities.

Prof Trevor Jones said: “It is a great pleasure to be joining Simbec with its established reputation for excellence in the efficient conduct of clinical trials for regulatory approvals. The clinical studies that Simbec performs are a pivotal component of the success of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry and we are well placed for future growth.”

Simbec Research is a long established Clinical Research Organisation providing comprehensive early stage clinical drug development services primarily focused on “first in human” and “proof of concept” clinical studies. In addition to its clinical unit, Simbec has a broad range of support services for this critical stage of drug development, including extensive bioanalytical and central laboratory facilities. Simbec also offers a range of niche services including whole body Gamma Scintigraphy imaging studies with Cardiff Scintigraphics.