Mereo BioPharma Group plc has appointed Richard Francis as head of Pharmaceutical Development, effective August 1, 2019. Mr. Francis brings more than 35 years of experience in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing operations across a diverse set of product types including antibodies, recombinant DNA proteins, gene therapy constructs and at all stages of their life cycle development.
 
Dr. Denise Scots-Knight, chief executive officer of Mereo BioPharma commented, “Richard’s extensive process development and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) experience – including leading the CMC efforts for Ablynx’s first nanobody product from early-stage clinical development through approval and commercial launch – will be instrumental to us as we continue to advance our late-stage product portfolio including setrusumab for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare bone disease with no approved therapies. With a Phase 3 registration study design agreed to by the European Medicines Agency for a pediatric OI population, Richard is a key addition to our existing leadership team as we work to set the stage for our potential commercial operations.”
 
“After serving as an industry consultant for the last decade, I am thrilled to join Mereo to lead its pharmaceutical development efforts,” commented Mr. Francis. “Based on the clinical data generated to date, I believe Mereo’s pipeline holds great potential and I look forward to applying my experience and expertise to help the company make a positive impact on the lives of patients in need of new innovative therapies.”