Galecto Biotech AB announced the appointment of Richard Marshall, MD, PhD, as chief medical officer. Dr Marshall joins Galecto with more than 15 years of experience across drug discovery, clinical development and business development in various positions at Glaxo Smithkline (GSK). 

Most recently, he was Vice-President and Head of the Fibrosis & Lung Injury Discovery Performance Unit. During his tenure at GSK, Dr Marshall led the early clinical development for Nucala^TM, anti-IL-5 mAb in asthma and nasal polyposis. 

“Richard is a great addition to the Galecto management team as we move towards late-stage clinical studies with our lead program, TD139, a potent and selective inhibitor of galectin-3, in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and advance other candidates in fibrosis, inflammation and cancer through clinical development,” said Hans Schambye, chief executive officer of Galecto Biotech. “His career at GSK has seen him deliver on all aspects of drug discovery and development within the respiratory and fibrosis field, making him ideal to help take Galecto to the next level.”

“Galecto’s unique approach to targeting galectin-3 has shown very promising results, so far, in clinical studies. This exciting mechanism has the potential to bring new medicines to patients, treating fibrosis and inflammation across a range of severe, often life threatening, diseases. I look forward to working with the superb team at at Galecto to help steer the next stage of clinical development for Galecto’s portfolio of candidate drugs,” said Dr Marshall