In the City: IS Pharma appoints non-exec, Cyprotex launches portal, and more…

PHARMACEUTICAL group IS Pharma has appointed Dr Michael McDonald as a non-executive director.

Dr McDonald has more than 20 years experience in clinical drug development and regulatory leadership and was previously chief executive officer of Oxford BioMedica.

He has also worked in the US where he was chief medical officer at Seattle Genetics Inc and spent nine years with Eli Lilly as worldwide vice president.

Dr McDonald is a member of the Royal College of Physicians in London, holds a diploma in pharmaceutical medicine, and is a fellow of the faculty of pharmaceutical physicians.

::

CYPROTEX has launched a new web portal to offer access to drug discovery services.

The Macclesfield firm said its Cloe®Gateway will allow quicker and easier access to data, and new products will also be sold over the portal.

Dr Anthony Baxter, Cyprotex’s chief executive, said: “Cyprotex is delighted to announce the launch of its new and novel web portal, Cloe®Gateway. This will enable many more of our customers to utilise our Cloe®PK product on a simple pay-per-use model. 

“The cost effectiveness of this approach will allow new audiences of scientists, such as bench medicinal chemists, to access these predictive technologies.”

::

THE boss of Liverpool-based Johnson Services Group will today tell shareholders that trading for the first four months of the year is in line with expectations.

In a statement to the market prior to the group’s AGM, chairman John Talbot said: “Trading conditions continue to be in line with the comments made in March 2009 and we remain confident in achieving a satisfactory result for the full year.

“A further update will be given in the pre-close statement in early July.”