Beckley Psytech appoints Dr Rob Hershberg to its Board of Directors

‍OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM - 24 JUNE 2024. Beckley Psytech Ltd,  the private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of people living with neuropsychiatric disorders by developing effective and rapid-acting psychedelic medicines, today announced the appointment of Dr Rob Hershberg to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Hershberg is Co-Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hillevax Inc., a NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of novel vaccine candidates. He is also a Venture Partner with Frazier Healthcare Partners and has been working with Frazier and its portfolio companies as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Senior Advisor, and executive for the last 14 years. Dr Hershberg was formerly Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, a Frazier-founded company developing a small molecule therapeutic to activate the immune system against solid tumours. During his time at VentiRx, Rob led the company through its partnership with Celgene, a pharmaceutical company developing cancer and immunology drugs. He joined Celgene in 2014 to lead their efforts in Immuno-Oncology, was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer in 2016 and was subsequently Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development and Global Alliances and served as a member of the Executive Committee until the acquisition of Celgene by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2019. Rob completed his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles and received his Ph.D. at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Hershberg said: “I am delighted to join the Beckley Psytech Board and I truly believe that psychedelic medicines hold great promise to alleviate suffering in individuals with neuropsychiatric conditions. It is an important juncture in time for the development of these medicines, and I hope to be able to contribute to the success of Beckley Psytech at this exciting stage of the company’s evolution.”

Cosmo Feilding Mellen, Chief Executive Officer at Beckley Psytech, also commented: “We are looking forward to benefiting from the wealth of experience Rob brings from across the fields of drug development, medicine and entrepreneurship as we progress our lead compounds through multiple clinical milestones in the months and years to come. With his proven track record of leadership and strategic vision, as well as his deep industry expertise in the world of biopharma, Rob will help ensure we stay on track as we move towards our mission of developing effective, rapid-acting psychedelic medicines for neuropsychiatric conditions with a high unmet need. We are delighted to welcome him.”

Alongside news of Dr Hershberg’s appointment, Beckley Psytech also announced that Lady Amanda Feilding, Co-Founder of Beckley Psytech, will be stepping down from the Board in order to focus her work as Executive Director of The Beckley Foundation. She will continue supporting the Beckley Psytech team as a senior scientific and strategic advisor. 

Marc Wayne, Chairman of Beckley Psytech’s Board of Directors, said: “We are incredibly grateful for Amanda’s time, wisdom, and guidance. Amanda is a true pioneer and has devoted her life to researching the scientific benefits behind psychedelics. Through her work at the Beckley Foundation and Beckley Psytech, she has profoundly influenced the field and laid the groundwork for many of the programs and companies we see today. While Amanda will focus her time on the Beckley Foundation, we are thankful that we will continue to benefit from her insights in her role as an advisor."

For more information please contact: Charlotte Chorley, Communications Lead, at info@beckleypsytech.com

Beckley Psytech - www.beckleypsytech.com 

Beckley Psytech Ltd is a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of people living with neuropsychiatric disorders by developing effective and rapid-acting psychedelic medicines. Founded in 2019, and underpinned by more than two decades of pioneering scientific research from the Beckley Foundation, Beckley Psytech combines world-leading psychedelic science with extensive drug development expertise in order to optimise patient outcomes, improve treatment opportunities and ease the burden neuropsychiatric conditions have on individuals, healthcare systems and society. The company’s lead compound, BPL-003, is a novel, synthetic 5-MeO-DMT benzoate salt formulation currently under investigation in Phase II studies as a potential therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). BPL-003 is covered by granted US, UK and European composition of matter patents, with multiple further claims pending in various jurisdictions. Beckley Psytech’s second clinical-stage asset, ELE-101, is a proprietary intravenous formulation of psilocin currently being developed as a potential treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).