cobra:bio

Peter has 39 years experience in the international healthcare industry, including Chairmanship of Fisons Plc's multinational research-based Pharmaceutical Division and Consumer Health Division, where he led a series of strategic development initiatives, including acquisitions in North America, Europe and Asia, whilst achieving significant organic growth. He was a main Board Director responsible for the majority of the Group's profits when Fisons Plc was a FTSE 100 company.

Peter subsequently formed his own strategic management company that has been involved in management buy-out and buy-in arrangements, consultancies and the creation of new businesses in the private healthcare sector. He has been Chairman or Director of 16 companies and is currently Chairman of I Holland Limited, the world's leading supplier of tablet moulding tools to the global pharmaceutical industry. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and sits on the boards of various charitable and public bodies.

Simon Saxby has 25 years experience in the biotechnology industry, latterly as CEO of Alpha Biologics Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian contract manufacturing organisation with an office and laboratories in Cambridge,UK. Simon was a founder of Murex Diagnostics, which was sold to Abbott Laboratories for $350m, a co-founder and Operations Director of Quantum Biosystems Ltd, he led the development of a CMO business for Unisyn Technologies in Massachusetts, USA for 4 years and has held appointments with KS Biomedix Plc, Xenova Group Plc and Synexis Ltd.

Peter has 13 years experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry and has been Cobra's Finance Director since its flotation on AIM in June 2002. Prior to Cobra he was employed in a variety of senior financial and corporate development roles. Peter qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 1996 and in 2001 was awarded an MBA with distinction jointly from the Manchester Business School and the University of Wales.

Michael graduated from Cambridge University with Honours in Law. He is a Chartered Accountant and was a Director of Hill Samuel and Co and Vice Chairman of Charterhouse Bank. He is currently a Director of Johnson Service Group Plc, Porvair Plc and Chairman of Alliance Pharma Plc and he is also a Trustee/Director of the Stroke Association.

After graduating with an honours degree in Biochemistry, David has worked in the biotechnology, diagnostic and therapeutic health care industries for over 30 years. He has held senior management positions in Asia and the USA as well as in Europe. Previously CEO of Xenova Group Plc and President of Syva Co in California, David is currently Chairman of BioAnaLab Ltd and a member of EuropaBio's Emerging Enterprise Council. Appointed an Honorary Fellow of Brunel University in 2003, David chaired the European Working Group of the (DTI) Bioscience and Innovation Growth Team (2003) and was appointed to the BioScience Leadership Council in 2004.

Nigel is Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge with research interests in the process development and formulation of biopharmaceuticals. He is a member of the MHRA Biologicals and Vaccine Expert Advisory Group and his research portfolio has included collaborations with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies. He is the author of a number of scientific papers and patents. Additionally, he has relevant biomanufacturing development and engineering experience with Wellcome Plc, Unilever Nederland BV and Cobra Therapeutics Limited.

David trained as a protein chemist and pursued an academic career until 1981, when he moved to Biogen SA in Geneva where he worked on the isolation of recombinant cytokines. In 1985, he became Director of Process Development at Biogen Inc, Cambridge Mass., where he was responsible for the development of large-scale processes for the production of gamma interferon, GM-CSF and several other products.

In 1988, David left Biogen and joined Zeneca Pharmaceuticals as Head of their Protein Production Laboratory where he was responsible for the production of a number of biopharmaceutical products for clinical evaluation. In 1994, he joined Therexsys Limited (now Cobra) as the second employee and has been responsible for managing the evolution of the Group's manufacturing technology and assets and developing the contract manufacturing business. As CEO, David led the successful establishment of Cobra Biomanufacturing and subsequent IPO in 2002. David stepped down in 2008 and remains a consultant to the Company.