ANN ARBOR—Millendo Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: MLND), a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on developing novel treatments for orphan endocrine diseases with significant unmet needs, announced that Geoff Nichol has been appointed to its board of directors.
Nichol currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at BioMarin where he oversees an active portfolio of clinical development programs and has led multiple programs through late-stage clinical studies and regulatory approval.
“We welcome the deep expertise and insights from Dr. Nichol,” said Julia C. Owens, Millendo president and CEO. “His experience across the full spectrum of drug development, particularly in rare diseases and late-stage clinical development, as well as his strong knowledge of the regulatory approval process complements our current board. His perspective will have significant impact as we plan our transition to a commercial stage organization.”
“Millendo has built a solid foundation with its lead candidate livoletide, and the clinical data to date are promising,” Nichol said. “I am excited to help guide the company on their strategy to advance livoletide and other pipeline assets and I look forward to working closely with this dedicated, patient-focused team to further develop potential therapeutics for those living with rare endocrine diseases.”
Nichol brings to the Millendo board nearly 30 years of experience in drug development, including his perspectives as CMO at BioMarin. Prior to joining the leadership team at BioMarin, Nichol led pre-clinical development of several drug development firms as executive vice president of research and development at Sangamo. He previously held senior positions at Medarex Inc. (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb), Novartis and SmithKline Beecham. Nichol received a B.Med.Sc., M.B., Ch.B., or the equivalent of an M.D. in the U.S., from Otago University Medical School in New Zealand and an MBA from Warwick University in the United Kingdom.
As of Dec. 17, Randall Whitcomb, M.D., a Millendo board member since 2012, stepped down from his role on the Board due to health reasons. “We are profoundly grateful for Dr. Whitcomb’s dedication and guidance since our company’s inception. His expertise has been invaluable in shaping this company, and we will miss his warmth and professional generosity,” Owens added. “On behalf of the Board of Directors and all of us at Millendo, I would like to thank Randy for his support, and his many contributions to Millendo’s growth over the years. We wish him the very best.”
Millendo is currently advancing livoletide for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome, nevanimibe for the treatment of classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia and MLE-301 for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. For more information, please visit www.millendo.com.