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Andrew J. Stewart Coats, Founder and Non-Executive Director
Professor Andrew Coats MBA, DSc, DM, co-founded Actimed Therapeutics in 2017, having previously founded Myotec (later renamed PsiOxus Therapeutics). Andrew has over 30 years of experience as an academic manager, having been both Dean of Medicine and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sydney and head of Clinical Cardiology at Imperial College and the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Andrew also served as CEO of the Norwich Research Park in the UK. Andrew is an experienced board director and chairman with an MBA from London Business School. He has over 20 years of experience of company boards in roles including audit, remuneration, nominations and governance committees in biotechnology, publishing health care and education, including the George Institute of International Health, the Woolcock Institute, Lone Star Heart, Myotec, PsiOxus, Radcliffe Group, ESN Cleer and Faraday (Australia). Andrew has been on the board of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC since 2012 and will be its President from 2020 to 2022. He has been a member of over 20 international clinical trial steering committees in the fields of heart failure and cachexia and has over 700 career research papers, 95,000 citations and an h-Index of 130.
Stefan D. Anker, Founder, Non-executive Director & Chair of Scientific Advisory Board
Professor Stefan Anker MD, PhD, co-founded Actimed Therapeutics in 2017, having previously founded Myotec (later renamed PsiOxus Therapeutics). Stefan has 30 years academic research experience in heart failure, cachexia and clinical trials with positions at Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College in London as well as University Göttingen and Charité Berlin. Stefan has been a tenured University-Professor in Germany since 2007, leading a highly active research group, and he is founding Editor-in-Chief of two successful scientific journals (including the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle). Stefan was Vice President of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) from 2016 to 2018, and served on the ESC board from 2012 to 2018. He has served on the board of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC since 2006; and was HFA President from 2012 to 2014.
Yann Colardelle, Founder
Yann Colardelle is a professional in communications and medical education who has been involved in research and education in cachexia for more than 15 years. In 1998 he founded Medical Education Global Solutions, a leading independent medical education company with a focus on global and multidisciplinary projects.
Yann holds a degree from the University of Provence and an eMBA at Paris Dauphine. As a founder, he envisions Actimed therapeutics as the organisation that will change the paradigm of cachexia management and improve the lives of patients and their families and carers.
- Fabio Dorigotti brings over 25 years of clinical development experience
- Joins Actimed following retirement of Frank Misselwitz
London, UK – 16 January 2025. Actimed Therapeutics, a UK based clinical stage speciality pharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovation to the treatment of cancer cachexia and other muscle wasting disorders, announces the appointment of Dr Fabio Dorigotti as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) following the retirement of previous CMO, Frank Misselwitz MD.
Prior to joining Actimed, Dr Dorigotti was CMO of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Quercis Pharma. He brings over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience spanning the full breadth of the clinical development process.
Robin Bhattacherjee, Actimed CEO, commented: “I am very pleased to welcome Fabio as our new Chief Medical Officer as we focus on advancing our lead candidate ACM001.1 (S-pindolol benzoate) for cancer cachexia into late-stage clinical development. Fabio brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience and a proven track record of success. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our retiring CMO Frank Misselwitz for his invaluable contribution to Actimed over the last several years and am delighted that he will retain his role as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the company.”
During his career, Dr Dorigotti has held inhouse roles of Head of Global Medical Affairs for CSL Vifor and Medical Affairs Director at Astrazeneca, and as Chief Strategy Officer and President of Global Clinical for Worldwide Clinical Trials, a full-service global contract research organization (CRO). He brings a strong track record of successful clinical development and product marketing approvals, alongside a deep understanding of FDA, EMA and other regulatory agencies.
Dr Dorigotti commented: “Joining Actimed as CMO provides me with an exciting opportunity to bring my skills and experience to bear in the further development of products that could fill an unmet medical need and benefit patients with serious muscle wasting disorders. I look forward to collaborating with the excellent team at Actimed to help drive the further progress of this exciting candidate and the company.”
About Actimed Therapeutics
Actimed Therapeutics is a clinical stage speciality pharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovation to the treatment of muscle wasting disorders to transform the care of an underserved and vulnerable patient population.
The lead area of focus for Actimed is specifically in cachexia. Cachexia is a wasting disease that is associated with cancer and other serious chronic illnesses and with significant morbidity and mortality. A significant number of cancer patients suffer from cachexia1 and it is estimated that cachexia is responsible for up to 20% of all cancer deaths2. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that cachexia was associated with an 82% higher relative risk of mortality in patients with NSCLC versus no cachexia3.
Despite its prevalence and devastating clinical effects, there is no globally approved drug for the treatment or prevention of cancer-related cachexia.
The lead product of Actimed, S-pindolol benzoate (ACM-001.1) targets multiple pathways that drive cachexia and has generated promising proof of concept Phase 2a clinical data in cachexia patients, with further clinical studies in preparation. Actimed is currently preparing for further clinical studies in cancer cachexia having received an Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from FDA for S-pindolol benzoate in August 2023 for the treatment of cancer cachexia.
Actimed also owns the global rights to its second asset, S-oxprenolol (ACM-002), which is being developed by the Company for the muscle wasting seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) where loss of body mass and muscle wasting may impact survival⁴. Actimed was granted Orphan Drug Designation to S-oxprenolol for the treatment of ALS by the FDA in 2024. Actimed has licensed the global rights to develop and commercialise S-oxprenolol for cancer cachexia and any other indications outside of ALS to US company Faraday Pharmaceuticals.
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Actimed Therapeutics
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Frazer Hall, Erica Hollingsworth
Tel: +44 (0)203 928 6900
Email: actimed@medistrava.com
1 Anker M et al., J. Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle; 2019: 10: 22 – 24
2 Argilés JM et al, Nat Rev Cancer 2014; 14:754-62
3 Bonomi P. et al. The mortality burden of cachexia in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis; International Conference of Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders, June 17 – 18 2023, Stockholm, abstract 2-18, page 139
4 Wolf J et al., PMID 28184974 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-117-0293
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