Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM:FARN, First North:FARON) has appointed Ralph Hughes as its new Chief Business Officer effective May 28, 2025. The appointment comes as the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company strengthens its commercial strategy and business development capabilities to advance its next-generation immunotherapy pipeline.
Hughes brings significant pharmaceutical industry experience to Faron, having previously served as Senior Vice President at PharmaVentures where he provided expertise in commercial strategy, business development, and market access to multiple clients. His career includes key roles at Mundipharma, where he led commercial launch strategies for pipeline assets, and at Pfizer, where he developed global commercial, market access, and pricing strategies across multiple therapeutic areas.
"I am honoured to step into this role at such a critical time for Faron," said Hughes. "I look forward to putting my experience to good use and fostering partnerships that will further the Company's mission and fulfil our promise of bringing this exciting immunotherapy closer to patients."
Dr. Juho Jalkanen, CEO of Faron, expressed enthusiasm about the appointment: "We are delighted to have such an experienced pharmaceutical market access and strategic commercial development expert to join us as the new CBO. Ralph's proven track record in biopharma leadership and his experience aligns perfectly with our corporate development efforts and strategic growth initiatives."
Advancing Novel Immunotherapy Approach
Faron's lead asset, bexmarilimab, represents a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy. The investigational treatment is designed to overcome resistance to existing therapies by targeting myeloid cell function and activating the immune system against cancer cells.
Bexmarilimab works by binding to Clever-1, an immunosuppressive receptor found on macrophages that contributes to tumor growth and metastasis by helping cancer evade immune detection. By targeting this receptor, bexmarilimab aims to alter the tumor microenvironment, reprogramming macrophages from an immunosuppressive (M2) state to an immunostimulatory (M1) state.
This mechanism upregulates interferon production, primes the immune system to attack tumors, and potentially sensitizes cancer cells to standard treatments—addressing a significant challenge in current cancer therapy approaches.
BEXMAB Clinical Trial Progress
The company is currently conducting the BEXMAB study, an open-label Phase I/II clinical trial investigating bexmarilimab in combination with standard of care (azacitidine) for aggressive hematological malignancies, specifically acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
The primary objective of the trial is to determine the safety and tolerability of the combination therapy. The scientific rationale is compelling, as Clever-1 is highly expressed in both AML and MDS and has been associated with therapy resistance, limited T cell activation, and poor clinical outcomes.
By directly targeting Clever-1, Faron hopes to limit cancer cell replication, increase antigen presentation, trigger immune responses, and enhance the effectiveness of current treatments.
Strategic Importance of the Appointment
Hughes joins Faron with strong academic credentials, holding an MSc in Public Health and Health Economics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Newcastle University. Throughout his career, he has developed expertise in overcoming market access hurdles and commercializing novel therapeutics.
As Chief Business Officer, Hughes will be part of Faron's Management Team and Business Development Committee, where his experience in commercial due diligence and business development will be crucial as the company advances its pipeline toward potential commercialization.
The appointment reflects Faron's strategic focus on strengthening its commercial capabilities as its lead asset progresses through clinical development, positioning the company to potentially bring its novel immunotherapy approach to patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.
Faron Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Finland, is focused on tackling cancers through novel immunotherapies, with a mission to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to a broader patient population by developing new ways to control and harness the immune system's power against cancer.
