Ex-Bayer R&D chief joins Gemmus Pharma board

Gemmus Pharma has appointed Marc Rubin to its board as one of three new directors to join the US biotech company. 

Rubin is currently executive chairman of Titan Pharmaceuticals and previously served as head of global research and development for Bayer Schering Pharma.

His past positions include chairman of Schering Berlin and president of Schering AG's Berlex Pharmaceuticals division. Prior to these assignments Rubin spent 13 years at GlaxoSmithKline, overseeing clinical and commercial development programmes in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

At Gemmus he joins two new directors on the board, pulmonary and critical care physician Dr Christopher Dunn and Larry Miller, an executive in residence at investment firm Innovation Works.

Daryl Faulds, CEO of Gemmus, said: "We are delighted to assemble a Board of Directors composed of life sciences industry veterans to move Gemmus' influenza treatment programme forward to an IND submission.

“The new directors bring high-level start-up company and pharmaceutical executive experience, as well as clinical expertise to the Board.”

San Francisco-based Gemmus was founded in 2007 and is developing a drug that decreases the severity of flu symptoms by modulating the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The firm says this approach avoids the development of viral resistance and the limited treatment window associated with current antiviral therapies that focus on inhibiting the production or release of the virus.