Senior Management Team

David Scales, CEO

David has more than 20 years experience in large pharmaceutical companies, having held a senior international position in research and development within GlaxoWellcome with staff in USA, UK, Italy and Japan. He moved into the biotechnology sector in 2000 working as R&D director for Strakan Ltd (now ProStrakan Group), Charterhouse Therapeutics Ltd and Antisoma PLC before becoming CEO of Cerogenix Ltd. He was a non-executive director of BIBRA International, Enhance Biotech Inc, sat on the board of the UK Public Health Laboratory Service and has been a consultant in the life sciences practice of Spencer Stuart. He joined Glycoform as CEO in 2008.

David earned three degrees from London University and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists in 1993 and an LLM from the Cardiff Law School in 1995. He held visiting chairs at King's College and the School of Pharmacy at London University.

Dr Chris Urch, Research Director

Chris joined GlycoForm in 2004 and was promoted to Research Director in 2008. From 2001 to 2004 he was head of chemistry at Amura Ltd where he managed the development of an oxapenem antibiotic. Previously he was a team leader with ICI/Zeneca where he worked principally on sterol biosynthesis inhibitors and acetylcholine agonists.

Chris took a double first in natural sciences and chemistry at Cambridge University. He then remained at Cambridge to complete his PhD with Ian Fleming before undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin with Barry Trost. He has over 70 publications and patents and is a referee for the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Gavin Clark, Head of Business Development

Gavin has more than 20 years experience in pharma and biotech licensing and business development. More recently he was Director of Global Licensing - Infectious Diseases at GlaxoWellcome (1994-99) and VP Business Development at Tibotec until acquisition of the latter by Johnson & Johnson. Gavin co-founded Dublin based Procela Partners and since 2002 has provided strategic business development support for biotech companies including Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Pintex, Pliva dd, PowderMed, Physiomics plc, NeuroCure Limited and Affimed Therapeutics. Gavin is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) as accredited by the Licensing Executives Society. Gavin joined GlycoForm as a consultant in 2008.