Aravax, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing disease-modifying immunotherapies for food allergies, has appointed Louise Peacock as Chief Regulatory and Quality Officer at its Oxford, UK facility. The strategic hire brings over 35 years of pharmaceutical industry experience as the company prepares to advance its lead peanut allergy treatment toward Phase 3 development.
Regulatory Expertise in Food Allergy Development
Peacock's appointment is particularly significant given her direct involvement in the regulatory approval of Palforzia®, the first and only FDA-approved oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy. During her tenure as Head of Pharma R&D at Nestle Health Science/Aimmune Therapeutics, she oversaw global regulatory affairs activities that supported Palforzia's marketing approvals in the US, EU, UK, and Switzerland.
"Despite recent advances, food allergy remains an ever-growing and life-threatening problem around the world and there is a critical need for better therapies," Peacock stated. "Having followed Aravax's developments, I am convinced that PVX108 has the potential to be a life-changing alternative for patients with peanut allergy."
Career Spanning Multiple Therapeutic Areas
Peacock's regulatory experience extends beyond food allergies to include gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. Her career includes senior positions at Abbott Laboratories, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Intermune, and Circassia, as well as recent roles as Chief Regulatory Affairs and Quality Officer at Vaderis Therapeutics AG and Alladapt Immunotherapeutics.
She holds a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from Kings College, London, and an LLB (Hons) from the University of West London, providing both scientific and legal expertise relevant to pharmaceutical development and regulatory affairs.
PVX108's Differentiated Approach
Aravax's lead product PVX108 is currently being evaluated in an international Phase 2 trial for peanut allergy treatment. The therapy represents a next-generation approach using the company's proprietary platform to generate engineered peptides that retrain the immune system to safely tolerate food allergens without risking treatment-induced acute allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
Dr. Pascal Hickey, CEO of Aravax, emphasized the unique value of Peacock's experience: "Louise's experience in regulatory affairs in the field of food allergy is unique. It spans all the major regulatory bodies and multiple programs including the successful approval of Palforzia®."
Company Pipeline and Investment
Beyond PVX108, Aravax is developing additional products targeting significant food allergy indications. The company operates internationally with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, and maintains operations in the USA and Europe. Its investor base includes Novartis Venture Fund, Brandon Capital, Tenmile, Breakthrough Victoria, Uniseed, and UniSuper.
