Vicore Appoints Leading Respiratory Medicine Developer Dr. Bertil Lindmark MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer
- Vicore continues to strengthen its leadership in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) drug development by appointing Dr. Lindmark as its new Chief Medical Officer
- Dr. Lindmark brings deep expertise in late-stage clinical development for respiratory diseases, having developed Symbicort and several other global respiratory brands
- Appointment reflects Vicore’s advancement to late-stage development in IPF, following the interim phase 2a AIR data read-out showing potential for improving lung function
Stockholm, December 18, 2023 – Vicore Pharma Holding AB (publ), unlocking the potential of a new class of drug candidates, angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonists (ATRAGs), today announced that Dr. Bertil Lindmark, will join as Chief Medical Officer.
A luminary in advancing respiratory medicines, Dr. Lindmark's distinguished career spans global leadership roles at major pharmaceutical organizations and pioneering biotechnology companies. Formerly Global Vice President, Clinical Development for Respiratory and Inflammation at AstraZeneca, Dr. Lindmark spearheaded the development of Symbicort and Pulmicort, among other globally renowned respiratory medicines, and as Head of Research and Development at Almirall, lead the global approval of the second to market long acting antimuscarinic for the treatment of COPD. His recent tenure as Chief Medical Officer at Galecto focused on leading major global clinical development efforts in IPF.
Rohit Batta, outgoing Chief Medical Officer, has accepted a Managing Director role leading a Swiss biopharmaceutical venture company. As he transitions from his position, Vicore reinforces its commitment to develop life-changing treatments for patients suffering from lung diseases such as IPF through this appointment.
“We are so pleased to welcome Bertil to Vicore,” said Ahmed Mousa, CEO of Vicore. “His extensive experience in respiratory drug development positions us to make transformative strides in developing C21 for IPF and beyond. We express our deepest gratitude to Rohit for his substantial contributions to Vicore's achievements and wish him continued success in his new role."
“I am very excited to join Vicore at this transformational stage. The recently presented AIR data suggest that improving lung function in IPF is possible, an absolute holy grail in this truly devastating disease,” said Dr. Lindmark. “The unique, upstream mechanism of action Vicore is pursuing allows for an unprecedented combination of tolerability and efficacy in IPF, and potentially in a range of other diseases where the angiotensin II pathway plays a central role.”
Dr. Lindmark obtained his MD and PhD degree in molecular epidemiology from Lund University in Sweden, supervised by Professor Sten Eriksson, who described the alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. Dr. Lindmark also served as visiting Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Institute of Medicine at Gothenburg University.
For further information, please contact:
Ahmed Mousa, CEO, tel: +1 607 437-0235, ahmed.mousa@vicorepharma.com
Hans Jeppsson, CFO, tel: +46 70 553 14 65, hans.jeppsson@vicorepharma.com
This information was submitted for publication on December 18 at 08:00 CEST.
About Vicore Pharma Holding AB (publ)
Vicore is an innovative clinical-stage pharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of a new class of drugs to stop disease progression and restore function. The company is establishing a portfolio in rare lung diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). C21 is a first-in-class orally available small molecule angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonist (ATRAG) currently in a phase 2a study of IPF. C21 is protected by US and European orphan drug designation. A variety of patents have been filed to provide further protection for C21, out to 2040 and onwards. Almee™ (an investigational medical device in clinical development) is a digital therapeutic (DTx) based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) created to address the psychological impact of living with pulmonary fibrosis. Inhaled IMID is a new formulation and delivery route of thalidomide targeting the severe cough associated with IPF. Using its unique expertise in the ATRAG biology Vicore is further fueling its pipeline with several new small molecule drug assets, with long patent life and for a variety of indications, some of which could be partnered while others may be taken to the market by Vicore. The company’s shares (VICO) are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s main market. For more information, see www.vicorepharma.com.
