Coulter Partners places three key executives at Australian life sciences company, QBiotics Group Ltd
London, September 16, 2024 – Coulter Partners, the global expert building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, recently partnered with QBiotics Group Limited (QBiotics) and is pleased to announce the placement of Stephen Doyle as Chief Executive Officer, and of two Non-executive Directors to its Board, namely Mark Fladrich and David Phillips.
QBiotics is an unlisted public Australian life sciences company that specializes in the discovery and development of novel small molecules to treat complex medical conditions. Its current therapeutic focus is on oncology and wound healing.
Stephen Doyle has more than 24 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry, including leadership positions with companies such as Sanofi Aventis and Boehringer Ingelheim. He was most recently Chief Business Officer at Aslan Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Doyle brings extensive knowledge in leading negotiations for pharmaceutical assets across a range of deal types, licensing deals across multiple geographies and commercialization strategies.
Mark Fladrich is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with more than 30 years’ in the industry, including 23 years with AstraZeneca. Mark brings to QBiotics a wealth of knowledge and experience in global commercial strategy and implementation across all phases of the pharmaceutical product lifecycle. Mark held various senior roles during his time with AstraZeneca including Vice President Global Strategic Marketing, Country President roles in Germany, Australia and New Zealand and Regional Head of Southern and Western Europe.
David Phillips brings to QBiotics more than 40 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, 23 of which were with Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)). He was the Managing Partner in the corporate venture arm of GSK where he spun out new technologies from across the business. David has been responsible for capital raisings globally, as well as the execution of over 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology deals. David was previously a director on the board of Suda Pharmaceuticals (now Arovella Therapeutics Limited ASX:ALA) and is currently Non-Executive Chair for Inosi Therapeutics.
Commenting on his appointment, Stephen Doyle, new CEO of QBiotics said: “It is a privilege to be appointed CEO of QBiotics, a company with a unique and impressive history. QBiotics’ focus aligns well with the expertise I have built across the past 20 years, dedicated to the discovery and development of new drugs, bringing them to market, and diversifying treatment options for patients. I am committed to working with the Board and team to continue to position the business to drive long-term value for the Company and its shareholders.”
QBiotics’ Executive Chair, Dr. Susan Foden commented, “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Stephen, Mark, and David. The Board conducted an extensive selection process and is confident that Stephen’s strategic track-record, which has led to several successful licensing and commercialization outcomes, will make him a strong leader of the Company’s senior team.
“We are also very fortunate to have secured directors with deep experience across the full pharmaceutical development, commercialization and deal-making chain as part of our ongoing Board refreshment and succession plans.
“We would like to thank Coulter Partners for their invaluable expertise in identifying such talented individuals in the Asia-Pacific region and for their key role in bringing them on board.”
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Stephen Doyle, new CEO of QBiotics
Mr. Doyle is a global pharmaceutical executive with more than 24 years’ experience gained across a range of specialties within the medical and pharmaceutical sectors in both developed and emerging markets.
A pharmacist by training, Stephen has held a number of senior leadership roles at top pharmaceutical companies globally during the past two decades. Starting his career at Janssen Cilag and Novartis in Sydney, he was appointed to lead medical affairs of the Oncology Business Unit at Sanofi Aventis (later Sanofi). Over the next ten years, the expansion of Stephen’s remit within Sanofi saw him relocating to Europe and Asia to oversee scientific communications, then commercial operations of the oncology arm in each market. As Vice President of Oncology, Hematology and Transplantation Business Unit in Shanghai, Stephen launched new indications for Sanofi’s drug assets across China, while controlling a P&L accountability of €140M to build a high-performing team culture that translated into double-digit brand growth.
At Boehringer Ingelheim, Stephen led the Specialty Care Business Unit (Oncology, Biosimilars and Rare Diseases) and later the Diabetes Business Unit in Shanghai, managing multiple aspects of the operation including new drug launches, launch readiness, partnership and deal negotiation, team and brand management and evaluation. In 2018 Stephen joined Aslan Pharmaceuticals as the General Manager in China, moving to Singapore as Chief Business Officer to support the growth of Aslan’s immunology and dermatology assets in late-stage development.
He holds a Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Derby and a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Pharmacy from the Robert Gordon University.
Mark Fladrich, Non-Executive Director
Mark Fladrich is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with a passion for bringing innovative medicines to patients. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with over 20 years at AstraZeneca.
Mark brings to QBiotics broad global commercial strategy and implementation experience across all phases of the pharmaceutical product lifecycle in a broad range of therapy areas including: oncology, wound healing, respiratory, cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolism, gastrointestinal, psychiatric disorders, antibiotics and pain management.
Mark was most recently Chief Commercial Officer of Grunenthal – a mid-sized privately owned German company specialising in pain management, where he led the commercial organisation – expanding Grunenthal’s footprint beyond Europe and Latin America to establish a commercial presence in the US and relaunch an important pain management treatment in that market.
In his 23 years at AstraZeneca, Mark held several senior roles including Vice President Global Strategic Marketing, Country President roles in Germany, Australia and New Zealand and Regional Head of Southern and Western Europe. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Mark held various roles at Allergan (now part of AbbVie Inc) and Faulding Pharmaceuticals in Australia.
Mark is currently a Board Observer and Strategic Advisor at HealthMatch, a Sydney based digital startup which has developed a platform to enable patients to match themselves to clinical trials. He is also Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board for Atacana, a consulting firm which specializes in competitive intelligence and strategy consulting to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, currently serving 7 of the top 10 global pharma companies.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (University of South Australia), Master of Business Administration (Macquarie University), and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
David Phillips, Non-Executive Director
David Phillips brings to QBiotics more than four decades of experience in the global healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. David was previously a senior international marketing executive with Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK)) and also a Managing Partner with GSK’s Corporate Venture Fund, SR One.
David spent over a decade at Board level and Chief Business Officer roles at Argenta Discovery, The Automation Partnership and Galapagos NV.
In the latter part of his career, David was both an Executive Director and Non-Executive Director of Suda Pharmaceuticals (now Arovella, ASX: ALA). He is now Non-Executive Chair of Inosi Therapeutics, a spin-out from Monash University developing novel therapeutics for fibrosis.
David has been responsible for capital raisings globally, as well as the execution of over 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology deals and 10 mergers and acquisitions.
David holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Pharmacology from Kings College, London.
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Notes to editors:
About QBiotics
QBiotics is an unlisted public Australian life sciences company that specializes in the discovery and development of novel cell signaling small molecules. QBiotics applies phenotypic screening to generate breakthrough innovation in the discovery of first in class solutions to challenging medical conditions. Our current clinical focus is on novel treatments for cancer and debilitating chronic wounds.
QBiotics’ lead oncology drug, tigilanol tiglate, is a small molecule targeting a range of solid tumors and is currently in human clinical Phase II development. A veterinary formulation of tigilanol tiglate is registered and marketed as an oncology pharmaceutical, under the trade name STELFONTA®, in the USA, Europe, the UK and Australia.
QBiotics’ lead wound healing drug candidate, EBC 1013 is a small molecule targeting a range of wounds including chronic and acute wounds and burns. A first-in-human Phase I clinical development in patients with venous leg ulcers is open for recruitment.
About Coulter Partners
We are executive search and leadership development specialists working to build a better future. As advisors and consultants to companies at the cutting edge of Health, Science, and Technology, we are united by our mission to build teams that change the world. Operating uniquely as one global team, we have honed our expertise, platform, and data for over two decades, working across three continents, and in 40 countries. Applying what we learn through our work with boards, leadership teams, and investors in the world’s most innovative companies, we bring together and develop the right people at the right time to propel them to achieve their worthwhile goals.
