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Dr Darrin M Disley OBE
Scientist, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor. CEO at Mogrify, Chairman at Celixir Plc, Director at Roquefort Therapeutics Plc and Holder of the Lifetime Queens Award for Enterprise Promotion.
Dr Darrin M Disley OBE is a prominent scientist, entrepreneur, and angel investor with extensive experience in the life science and technology sectors.1 He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at Roquefort Therapeutics plc, alongside other notable positions such as CEO at Mogrify and Chairman at Celixir Plc.23
Career Highlights
Dr Disley has an impressive track record in the biotech industry:
- He was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group plc, a successful UK-listed life science company based in Cambridge.1
- He has started, grown, and/or invested in over 40 companies across life science, technology, and social enterprise sectors.1
- Dr Disley holds the Lifetime Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion, awarded by the UK Government and Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.1
Education and Achievements
Dr Disley's educational background includes:
- PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Cambridge (1991-1994)
- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Salford (1988-1991)
- Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Salford (2018)1
Throughout his career, Dr Disley has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:
- Cambridge Business Person of the Year (2015)
- UK Public Life Science CEO of the Year (2017)
- UK Iconic Male Entrepreneur of the Year (2017)1
Entrepreneurship and Mentoring
Dr Disley is known for his commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, particularly in the life sciences sector. He has:
- Mentored over 100 young entrepreneurs
- Helped launch nearly a dozen businesses, which have collectively raised over ten million pounds in capital
- Provided assistance to social enterprises and students from underprivileged backgrounds1
His expertise and contributions have made him a respected figure in the biotech industry, recognized for his ability to drive innovation and support emerging talent in the field.
Highlights
I am very happy to be joining the board of the main market listed biotech company Roquefort Therapeutics Plc (LSE: ROQ) following their acquisition this week of Oncogeni Ltd, a special purpose company that had been developing the pre-clinical oncology assets demerged from Celixir Plc.
Celixir Plc (a company I chair) will continue to progress its cardiac regeneration cell therapy assets currently in Phase 2 clinical studies as well as looking for commercial opportunities for Orthogeni, a company engaged in developing its demerged clinical-stage orthopaedic assets.
Looking forward to working at the Roquefort Therapeutics Board with Chairman Steve West and Celixir co-founders Ajan Reginald (CEO) and Professor Sir Martin Evans FRS (CSO) the first scientist to identify embryonic stem cells, which are adapted for a variety of medical purposes and for which he was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize.
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Roquefort Therapeutics (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF) is a Main Market listed biotech company developing first in class drugs in the high value and high growth oncology segment prior to partnering or selling to big pharma. Since listing in March 2021, Roquefort Therapeutics has successfully acquired Lyramid Pty Limited, a leader in the development of medicines for a new therapeutic target, Midkine (a human growth factor associated with cancer progression), and most recently acquired Oncogeni Ltd, founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Martin Evans, which has developed two families of innovative cell and RNA oncology medicines. Roquefort Therapeutics' portfolio consists of four fully funded, novel patent-protected pre-clinical anti-cancer medicines. The highly complementary profile of four best-in-class medicines consists of: · Midkine antibodies with significant in vivo efficacy and toxicology studies; · Midkine RNA therapeutics with novel anti-cancer gene editing action; · MK cell therapy with direct and NK-mediated anti-cancer action; and · siRNA targeting novel STAT-6 target in solid tumours showing significant in vivo efficacy. For further information on Roquefort Therapeutics, please visit www.roquefortplc.com and @RoquefortTherap on Twitter.
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