Pharmext has appointed Dr Niall Murphy and Pierre Schwich as its new chief scientific officer and chief financial officer, respectively.
Dr Murphy (pictured right) brings over 20 years of experience in neurological and psychological research to the Paris, France-based biopharmaceutical company. He is currently an adjunct full professor of UCLA’s department of psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences and a member of the Brain Research Institute at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Prior to this, Dr Murphy served as a unit leader for a team of scientists collaborating on research in the areas of addition biology, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression and neurotoxicity at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute.
Daniel Cohen, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Pharnext, said: “Dr Murphy’s scientific leadership will be essential as our pleotherapy platform provides us with opportunities to help patients suffering with a wide range of severe neurologic conditions where medical need remains high.”
Meanwhile, Pierre Schwich (pictured left) joins Pharnext from Cellectis where he served as chief financial officer from 2011 until 2014.
Schwich has over 35 years of financial leadership experience, building and managing financial and administrative teams for public and private firms alike. Before joining Cellectis, he served as chief financial officer and corporate secretary for Genesys Conferencing, HighCo and Oceasoft as well as working as an investment director at 3i, a private equity and venture capital company.
Cohen said: “As … our products continue to advance and the company grows and matures, the financial leadership and expertise of Mr Schwich will be critical.
“Pharnext is lucky to be adding two executives with the experience of Mr Schwich and Dr Murphy.”