Newcells Biotech are one of three Phase I contract winners of a challenge-led competition that funds collaborations between industry, academics and SMEs to solve business and scientific ‘Challenges’. The NC3Rs challenge (named ImmuLiver), sponsored by Sanofi
Mike is Chief Executive Officer of Newcells Biotech and has an extensive commercial track record working in the biotechnology industry.
A microbiologist by training, he started his career working for ICI looking at a range of biotechnology approaches to making chemicals, polymers and food products. He worked for Zeneca (now AstraZeneca) in a range of commercial roles, leading business groups and providing contract manufacturing and development services to pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies around the world.
His experience includes senior executive and board level positions with Avecia and Chirex, including VP sales and marketing, and strategy & acquisitions director. He has been involved with several start-up companies in biotechnology over many years and has an in-depth expertise of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Professor Armstrong studied chemistry at the Universities of Sheffield and Northumbria and was awarded a PhD in physical organic chemistry in 1992.
As an outcome of his PhD research into the chemistry of fluorescent molecules, he founded a contract research organisation developing and licensing diagnostic systems to identify and enumerate bacteria in biological fluids. This organisation was successful in generating a range of products that were subsequently licensed to industry and marketed as microbial diagnostic tools.
Prof Armstrong’s highly respected research group is focussed on reprogramming cells to hiPSCs and developing organoid and other complex models of human tissues. A key aspect of this investigation is researching the possible reversal of ageing during the reprogramming process and how this might be valuable for repairing organ damage or treating human diseases using iPSCs.
Dr Colin Brown is a leading expert in kidney transport, with research interests in renal, hepatic and GI drug transporters.
He has developed and commercialised (through Newcells Biotech Ltd) a primary cell based assay for measuring kidney transport and toxicity.
The assay has been used in a range of study protocols globally with pharma and other industries to investigate drug transport, drug-drug interaction and nephrotoxicity.
Alongside his non-executive director (NXD) role at Newcells Biotech , Sandy Primrose is also NXD at Arquer Diagnostics and is actively engaged with a number of early stage companies.
Sandy is the senior partner at Business and Technology Management, a biotechnology and healthcare consultancy practice. Previously, Sandy was an academic at Warwick University and then held posts as Senior Director of Drug Development at Searle Research and Development and then managed the Life Science business of Amersham International (now part of GE).
After that he held senior management positions in a number of early stage companies as well as serving on the board of the Microbiological Research Authority (a Special Health Authority) and then the Health Protection Agency.
Dr Armstrong has held Chief Executive roles with five biopharma companies (both public and private) including FulcrumPharma PLC (AIM) and CuraGen (NASDAQ). He led Medical Science and Innovation at Merck Serono and was previously Executive Vice President of Product Development at Bayer and Senior Vice President of Medical Research and Communications at Zeneca.
Dr Armstrong is currently the Chairman of Summit Therapeutics (AIM and NASDAQ), Faron Pharmaceuticals (AIM) and Caldan Therapeutics. He is a member of the Senior Advisory Board at HealthCare Royalty Partners and an SAB Member at Epidarex Capital. Dr Armstrong is a Member of the Court of the University of Edinburgh. Dr Armstrong is a physician and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh).
Tim is the chairman for Chairman at NVM Private Equity LLP, responsible for investor relations and represents NVM on the board of several companies including Newcells Biotech. He is also a non-executive director of Northern Venture Trust PLC and Northern 3 VCT PLC.
He is twice winner of the prestigious BVCA Deal of the Year award. Prior to NVM, he spent several years in senior management with companies such as Shell UK and International Paints before becoming general manager of Tremco.
In Tim’s early career he was an officer in the Royal Navy.