Dr Haurum was previously Chief Executive Officer of F-star, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of novel bispecific antibodies that target the immune system to fight cancer. Under his leadership, F-star successfully raised €200 million in equity and non-dilutive funding. It also entered into a number of strategic collaborations with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in immune-oncology, including AbbVie and Merck KGaA, and in central nervous system disorders with Denali Therapeutics. Dr Haurum was also instrumental in the development of the next wave of immunotherapies, establishing a substantial pipeline of candidates with the potential to benefit cancer patients.

Commenting on today’s announcement Robert James, Chairman of Neophore, said: “I would like to welcome John to the Neophore Board. John has an excellent track record of building and growing companies in the biotech industry and his expertise and scientific understanding of the IO space will be invaluable as we maximise the potential of our platform.”

Dr John Haurum commented: “Neophore is developing a breakthrough approach to increase detection and cancer rejection by the patient’s immune system and thereby is poised to create next-generation cancer therapies. I am very excited to be joining Neophore and look forward to supporting the Executive team and the Board in developing its novel small molecule therapies to treat cancer and improve outcomes for patients.”