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Zimbabwean drugs developer lands top position at US-based Acelyrin Inc.

by Staff reporter
08 Oct 2023 at 20:24hrs | Views
Dr. Shepherd Mpofu, an accomplished drug developer originally from Zimbabwe, has assumed the role of Senior Vice President at the esteemed Acelyrin Inc., a prominent biopharmaceutical company based in the United States.

In his new capacity, Dr. Mpofu will oversee clinical development and translational sciences, and he will also become a vital member of the senior leadership team at the globally recognized biopharma firm.

Dr. Shao-Lee Lin, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acelyrin Inc., expressed high expectations for the newly appointed Senior Vice President, emphasizing the value he is poised to bring to the organization. Dr. Lin stated, "I am thrilled to welcome Shep to our leadership team as we continue to expand and advance our robust clinical pipeline, featuring multiple programs spanning various medical indications. Shep is an internationally acclaimed immunologist and rheumatologist, and he is highly regarded within his field. Importantly, his extensive experience in guiding secukinumab through all phases of clinical development, leading to multiple global approvals, will prove immensely beneficial as we advance our next-generation IL-17A inhibitor, izokibep."

Dr. Mpofu brings nearly two decades of experience gained at Novartis AG to his new role. His most recent position at Novartis was as Chief Medical Officer for the Gene Therapy Franchise. Over the course of his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility within the immunology, rheumatology, and dermatology franchise at Novartis, ultimately culminating in his global leadership role in clinical development for canakinumab and secukinumab.

In addition to his vast professional experience, Dr. Mpofu is a certified rheumatologist with accreditation from the United Kingdom General Medical Council Board. Before transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry, he practiced medicine at various institutions in the United Kingdom (UK). Dr. Mpofu is also recognized as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK and obtained his MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees) from the Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe.


Source - NewZimbabwe