Dr David Chiswell joins Kymab

Cambridge, UK-based Kymab has appointed Dr David Chiswell as chief executive officer, a position he will take up on 1 April.

Dr Chiswell has served as interim chief executive at the drug development biotech since February 2015 when Dr Christian Grondahl stepped down from the role and as chairman of the board since September 2013.

He brings over 30 years of biotechnology expertise to the firm, having held senior management positions at a number of pharmaceutical companies, including Arakis, Arrow Therapeutics, Daniolabs and Sosei.

He co-founded Cambridge Antibody Technology in 1990 and served as its chief executive officer between 1996 and 2002 before it was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2006.

Dr Chiswell currently serves as chairman of Albireo Pharma, a Swedish biopharmaceutical company, and is a director of Nabriva Therapeutics, an Austrian biopharmaceutical firm.

He has also previously served as chairman of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and was awarded the OBE in 2006 for services to the biotechnology industry.

Dr Chiswell said: “I have spent one of the most satisfying years of my career as interim CEO working closely with the excellent team at Kymab.

“I believe Kymab has all the tools needed to enable it to become a truly successful major biotech company.

“I am very pleased to be taking the helm on a permanent basis at a time when we are commencing our clinical trial programmes.”