Dr. Steve Ruston PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Steve Ruston has over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals sectors including roles in R&D, chemical manufacturing and site operations with key roles at Smith Kline, Courtaulds, GlaxoWellcome and Pfizer in the UK, USA & Latin America. During his career, Steve has contributed to the teams responsible for the development and commercial success of Tagamet, Zantac, Imigran and Viagra and was responsible for the design, commissioning and operation of R&D laboratories and chemistry pilot plant facilities with a capital value of over £300m. Steve previously served as CEO of Prolysis Ltd, a UK-based biotechnology company, where he led the growth and development of the company from its spinout stage from Oxford University through to its successful sale to an international pharma company.

Steve holds a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Leeds.

Dr. Lloyd Czaplewski PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Lloyd Czaplewski has over 30 years of R&D experience across multiple therapeutic areas at corporate, managerial and technical levels. Lloyd’s career in the biotechnology sector has included positions as Head of Biology at British Biotech and Vice President of R&D at Prolysis and Biota Europe. He has a successful track record working at Board level to assist in corporate fundraising and commercial agreements. Lloyd has also been an advisor to several international antibacterial groups including CARB-X, the Novo Repair Impact Fund and the WHO Clinical Pipeline Advisory Group.​

Lloyd holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Glasgow and completed further postdoctoral research studies at the University of Leeds.​

Duncan McHale MD PhD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr Duncan McHale is the chief medical officer to Persica Pharmaceuticals and the PP353 programme.  He is the founder and director of Weatherden, an Early Drug Development consultancy and has over 20 years of experience in early drug development.  Duncan received his medical degree from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1991 a PhD from the University of Leeds.  He has led the pharmacogenetics group in Pfizer Europe, chaired the EFPIA Pharmacogenetics group and was a member of the UK Human Genetics Council.  During his tenure in senior management positions for Translational Science and Early Development groups at AstraZeneca and UCB he led teams to take 8 programmes into Development with 4 reaching proof of concept.  Throughout his career he has worked on many programs across multiple therapeutic areas including pain, immunoinflammation, oncology, neuroscience, respiratory, GI and GU diseases.​

Sarah Guest MSc

Chief Operating Officer

Sarah Guest has significant experience in the pharmaceutical industry within clinical development and global project management, having spent 19 years at Pfizer. She has extensive experience across all phases of drug development and multiple therapeutic areas and played a key role in the successful registration and approval of Relpax™. Prior to joining Persica, Sarah worked at ProtAffin Biotechnologie AG, an Austrian based company, where she was involved in the execution of the company’s first clinical study. Sarah is a co-inventor on Persica’s patents. Sarah gained her B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Kent University and subsequently her M.Sc. in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.​

Dr Paul Cummings DProf

CMC Lead

Dr Paul Cummings is the CMC lead to Persica. Paul has over 40 years experience. Commercialised 8 products internationally. Involved in over 20 Phase 3 programmes. Paul held senior leadership positions at Smith Kline Beecham, Smith Kline & French & GSK prior to founding PJC Pharma Consulting.

Bridget Lacey BSc ACA

Chief Business Officer

Bridget Lacey has over 25 years of corporate and business development experience across the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. She has identified and led a large number of deals, covering product in-licensing and acquisitions, product or business divestments and corporate M&A. Bridget has worked in global roles, and also internationally, for GSK, Novartis (previously Chiron Vaccines), GE Healthcare, Shire, ViroPharma and Circassia. More recently she has taken on CBO and Head of BD roles for clinical-stage biotechs; VHsquared, Karus Therapeutics and EnteroBiotix, leading their business development functions as well as supporting fund-raising activities. Earlier in her career she qualified as a Chartered Accountant and moved into corporate finance at EY.

Nicholas Stern FCCA

Financial Advisor

Nicholas Stern is a chartered certified accountant with over 22 years experience working with both UK and international clients. Nicholas held a senior role for South of England Lead Advisory practice at PwC, whilst also in a global advisory role delivering deal value. Nicholas has significant deal experience covering large-scale exits and smaller equity buy-ins. ​

Andrew Congleton

Board Member

Andrew Congleton is a specialist in mergers & acquisitions at international investment bank DC Advisory, specialising in the Infrastructure sector, advising clients on large and mid-cap transactions across Europe. During his career Andrew has worked on utilities, transportation, oil & gas, healthcare, TMT, consumer and real estate. Andrew also worked at Novartis in mergers & acquisitions, based in Basel. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and studied at the University of Cambridge

Mr. Peter J Hamlyn, Consultant Spinal Surgeon

Non-Executive Director and Board Member

Peter Hamlyn is a graduate of University College London, he has practiced as a Consultant Neurological and Spinal Surgeon for over 30 years and has led neurosurgical units as well as academic departments in sport medicine at two London leading university hospitals. He is President of the Brain and Spine Foundation, Chair of the UK Football Association’s Expert Medical Advisory Panel, Medical Trustee of the Grand Prix Trust and Podium Analytics. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the Institute of Sports Medicine and was a key member of the 2012 Olympic Bid Advisory Panel. Peter’s research activity includes a period as Convener of Queen Mary University of London Spinal Cord Injury Group, a £750,000 funded research program, and a grant from the Migraine trust. In addition, he played a key role in achieving £10m funding and National Centre Status for the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health at UCL. Author of a neurosurgical textbook and multiple peer review papers. His clinical work focused on spinal surgery and saw him complete some 2,500 consultations and around 300 procedures a year. His specialist interest in sport saw him working with Premier League football clubs, rugby clubs, and elite athletes from many disciplines including motorsports.

Mr Hamlyn was a founding member of Persica Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Alan A Jordan PhD

Non-Executive Director and Board Member

Alan Jordan was a founder of the Spine Centre at the University of Southern Denmark where he worked as an associate professor and course coordinator in the Faculty of Sports Medicine & Clinical Biomechanics from 1998 to 2003. Following this, Alan became a Director of the Broadgate Spine & Joint Clinic in London. Alan qualified as a Chiropractor in Toronto in 1979 and later carried out post-graduate research at the University of Copenhagen and in 1997 completed a doctorate in medical research at the Faculty of Medicine, Royal National University Hospital, Copenhagen.​

Dr Jordan is a founding member of Persica Pharmaceuticals.

Eliot Forster, PhD MBA

Advisor to the Board

Eliot Forster has over 30 years’ experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of F-Star Therapeutics, Immunocore, Creabilis and Solace Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, he held positions at Pfizer and GSK.​

Eliot currently serves as the Non-Executive Chairman of Avacta Group , as the Non-Executive Chairman of Protalix Biotherapeutics, as a Non-Executive Director of Immatics NV and as the Chairman of Ochre Bio. ​He is a visiting Professor at the Universities of Pavia Italy and Liverpool UK.​