Full Press Release Details
AC Immune Strengthens Management,
Appoints Madiha Derouazi as CSO and Christopher Roberts as CFO
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 1, 2023
- AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision medicine for neurodegenerative diseases,
today announced the appointment, as of January 1st 2024, of Dr. Madiha Derouazi as Chief Scientific Officer and the promotion
of Interim Chief Financial Officer Christopher Roberts to Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Derouazi succeeds the former CSO, Dr. Marie Kosco-Vilbois,
who is retiring and will remain with AC Immune as an expert consultant in immunology to ensure continuity and a smooth transition.
Dr. Madiha Derouazi, an accomplished
immunologist, joins from Speransa Therapeutics where she had been CEO since inception in 2021, leading development of a novel
platform of prophylactic vaccines. Previously, she founded AMAL Therapeutics in 2012, an immuno-oncology company developing a new
generation of therapeutic cancer vaccines, and served as CEO and CSO of the company until 2022. Dr. Derouazi led AMAL's
acquisition by Boehringer Ingelheim for EUR 425 million in 2019. She holds a PhD in Cellular Biotechnology from the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne which was followed by postdoctoral work concentrating on tumor immunology and vaccine
Christopher Roberts joined AC Immune in 2019 and
has served as Vice President, Finance and Interim CFO of AC Immune since 2022. He has extensive experience of SEC reporting, initial and
follow-on public offerings and financial controls. He is a UK Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Auditing
and Finance from Lancaster University.
Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune SA, commented:
"I am delighted to welcome Madiha Derouazi as our new CSO and to confirm Chris as CFO. Madiha has an outstanding international track
record as an immunologist, entrepreneur, and vaccine developer. Her expertise in vaccines will be invaluable to AC Immune as we continue
to transform our company into a global leader in precision medicine to diagnose, treat and prevent neurodegenerative diseases with active
immunotherapies and other therapeutic modalities."
"I would like to take this opportunity to
warmly thank Marie for her dedicated service to AC Immune. Her experience has proven instrumental for optimizing our SupraAntigen vaccine
technology platform as we have expanded and developed our broad pipeline. We wish her all the best for the future."
AC Immune SA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company that aims to become a global leader in precision medicine for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, and NeuroOrphan indications driven by misfolded proteins. The Company's two clinically validated technology
platforms, SupraAntigen and Morphomer , fuel its broad and diversified pipeline of first- and best-in-class
assets, which currently features ten therapeutic and three diagnostic candidates, five of which are currently in Phase 2 clinical trials
and one of which is in Phase 3. AC Immune has a strong track record of securing strategic partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical
companies including Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Eli Lilly and Company, and others, resulting in substantial non-dilutive
funding to advance its proprietary programs and >$3 billion in potential milestone payments.
SupraAntigen is a registered
trademark of AC Immune SA in the following territories: AU, EU, CH, GB, JP, RU, SG and USA. Morphomer
is a registered trademark of AC Immune SA in CN, CH, GB, JP, KR, NO and RU.
The information on our website and any other websites
referenced herein is expressly not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this press release.
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Forward looking statements
contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical fact
and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or AC Immune's strategies or expectations.
In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "will,"
"should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates,"
"predicts," "projects," "potential," "outlook" or "continue," and other comparable
terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by
these statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described under the captions "Item 3. Key Information - Risk
Factors" and "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" in AC Immune's Annual Report on Form 20-F
and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These include: the impact of Covid-19 on our business, suppliers, patients
and employees and any other impact of Covid-19. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and AC Immune does
not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required
under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.