OXFORD, England, December 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Appointment Follows Recent Recruitment of Senior Antibody Industry Leaders and Highlights OBT's Growth Into a Leading Oncology-Focused Therapeutic Antibody Company

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) has today announced the appointment of Dr Michael Moore as non-executive Chairman. Dr Moore brings considerable expertise and experience to OBT at an exciting phase in the Company's development, as it capitalises on partnerships with GSK, Amgen, Medarex and Biosite to build a broad pipeline of therapeutic antibodies in oncology.

Dr Moore has several decades of senior management experience in the biotechnology sector and joins the Board of OBT following five years at UK biotechnology company, Piramed Limited, where he was CEO until its acquisition by Roche in 2008. Prior to joining Piramed, Dr Moore was CSO and Research Director of Xenova Group plc. During a distinguished career he has also held senior academic positions at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK and the Brunel Institute of Cancer Genetics and Pharmacogenomics where he is still Professor Associate.

Today's announcement follows OBT's recent recruitment of a number of other senior industry leaders in the biologics field and heralds another important milestone for the Company, as it matures into a global leader in the rapidly developing oncology therapeutic antibody sector. The company recently announced the appointment of Jim Cornett, Chief Operating Officer, Mike Gresser, Chief Scientific Officer, and Jon Terrett, VP Oncology, to lead its US R&D operations.

Dr Moore commented, "I am delighted to join Oxford BioTherapeutics at this exciting time in the Company's development. I have been highly impressed by OBT's scientific and commercial approach and am very pleased to join the other distinguished members of the OBT Board and management, as we work together to set the strategic framework for the Company's continued growth and success."

Oxford BioTherapeutics' CEO, Dr Christian Rohlff, welcomed Michael to the Company, commenting, "I am delighted that a biotechnology industry veteran who has made such a distinguished contribution to the field of targeted drug discovery has agreed to join the OBT board. I have no doubt that Michael will bring great value to the Company by virtue of his considerable experience and track record at successful and innovative companies in the sector."

OBT's impressive target discovery and therapeutic antibody capabilities led to a recent partnership with GSK which was announced in May 2009. The GSK partnership is focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of novel, therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of primary, metastatic and recurring forms of cancer.

OBT's antibody programs involve novel therapeutic targets that were discovered using the Company's proprietary OGAP(R) database. The Company's recent rapid progress is based on its unique in-house capabilities in the discovery of novel targets for oncology combined with the expertise of its partners, Medarex and Amgen, in the development of antibody therapeutics to create an exciting pipeline of innovative first-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Through these collaborations, OBT has access to the two leading technologies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies.

In addition, OBT collaborates with Biosite Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations, for the identification of novel protein-based disease markers for several cancer indications and for the development of companion diagnostic products aimed at improving the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options for patients with cancer.

Michael Moore

Dr Moore was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Director of Piramed Ltd, a UK-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs targeting specific isoforms of the PI3 kinase super-family for cancer and immune-inflammatory disease. Piramed concluded a major collaboration with Genentech in November 2005 and the company was acquired by F Hoffmann-La Roche in an all-share transaction in May 2008. He is also Associate Professor at the Brunel Institute of Cancer Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, a post he has held since 1997. Prior to joining Piramed, Dr Moore held several progressive positions at Xenova Group plc (1988-2003), including Chief Scientific Officer and Research Director. He held a tenured Cancer Research Campaign Special Appointment at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Christie Hospital, Manchester from 1980-1988, was Honorary Reader in Immunology and Oncology at the University of Manchester Medical School from 1986-1988, and Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Cancer from 1983-1988. Dr. Moore received his PhD (Faculty of Pure Science) and DSc (Faculty of Medicine) from Nottingham University and has more than 150 scientific publications. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.

About Oxford BioTherapeutics

Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT) is focused on the development of targeted antibody medicines for oncology. OBT's strategy is to develop innovative antibody-based cancer drugs, with integrated diagnostics, against novel targets that it has discovered in its unique OGAP(R) proteomic database. OBT is in an unrivalled position to convert its novel targets into a successful therapeutic pipeline through its alliances with the world leaders in antibody development (Medarex, Biosite and Amgen). OBT's current antibody pipeline is expected to deliver innovative and cost-effective medicines to fulfil major unmet patient needs in the field of cancer. OBT, a privately held company, was formed in 2004 and is based near Oxford, UK.

    For further information, please see http://www.OxfordBioTherapeutics.com

    For further information, please contact:

    Oxford BioTherapeutics

    Dr Christian Rohlff
    Chief Executive Officer
    Tel: +44(0)1235-861770
    cr@oxbt.co.uk

    Citigate Dewe Rogerson
    David Dible, Amber Bielecka
    Tel: +44(0)207-638-9571
    david.dible@citigatedr.co.uk

SOURCE Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT)

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