About Us

Pioneering the development of small molecule drugs that target various phases of cell cycle control

Who We Are

Cyclacel is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative cancer medicines based on cell cycle, transcriptional regulation, epigenetics and mitosis biology. Our strategy is to build a diversified biopharmaceutical business based on a pipeline of novel drug candidates that address oncology and hematology indications.

Our Vision icon

Our Vision

To translate insights in cell cycle biology into innovative cancer medicines that improve the lives of patients and their families.
Our Strategy icon

Our Strategy

Build a diversified portfolio of novel drug candidates addressing areas of unmet medical need.
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Our Core Values

Cyclacel’s approach to the business of biotechnology is characterized by the highest standards of scientific innovation, creativity, and integrity. Our camaraderie and strong sense of responsibility toward patients, health professionals, society, and stockholders drive the work that we do.

Leadership

Our leadership team has an established track record developing innovative medicines for oncology and hematology indications.
Paul McBarron

Paul McBarron

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer

Spiro Rombotis

Spiro Rombotis

President & Chief Executive Officer

Brian_Schwartz_MD_gs

Brian Schwartz, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Board of Directors

Samuel L. Barker, PhD
Chair
Robert J. Spiegel, MD
Vice-Chair
Christopher S. Henney, PhD, DSc
Kenneth M. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Brian Schwartz, MD
Karin L. Walker, CPA
Paul McBarron
Executive Vice President Finance, COO & Secretary
Spiro Rombotis
President & CEO

Partnering

Cyclacel retains virtually all marketing rights to our clinical-stage drug programs. To optimize our commercial return, we intend to enter into selected partnership arrangements and alliances in order to maximize available opportunities. Generally, we plan to develop compounds through proof-of-efficacy stage before seeking a partner.

Get in Touch for Partnering

Paul McBarron

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer​

Mr. McBarron has served as a director of the Company since March 2006. Mr. McBarron joined Cyclacel in January 2002 and has over 30 years of experience with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He has served as a financial executive at Sterling Drug, Sanofi-Winthrop and SmithKline Beecham and, from 1996 to 2001, as a senior member of the finance team at Shire Pharmaceuticals plc, where he held the positions of Director of Corporate Finance and Group Financial Controller. He joined Shire when it was an emerging public company. He qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young and served on the Scottish Lifesciences Association Board.

Spiro Rombotis

President & Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Rombotis joined Cyclacel as its first CEO in 1997 and has over 36 years at three public biotechs and two pharmas. He participated in in-licensing, clinical development, regulatory approval, partnering and commercial launch of several drugs, mainly in inflammation and hematology/oncology, including Abelcet®, Evacet/Myocet®, ProHance®, Remicade® and Reopro®. Major functional roles included international operations and business development as Vice President at Liposome (subsequently acquired by Elan) and previously Vice President in the pharmaceuticals division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. He began his career in the early ’80s, after training at Novartis, as one of the first employees of Centocor (subsequently acquired by Johnson & Johnson). He holds an MBA and MPH (Hospital & Health Services Management) with honors, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and a BA, Williams College. He serves on the Board of Trustees of BioNJ, the NJ biotech association.

Brian Schwartz, MD

Dr. Schwartz has served as a director of the company since December 2020. Dr. Schwartz has wide-ranging experience as a drug development expert in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries primarily in oncology, hematology, and rare diseases. From June 2008 to 2020, he served as Senior Vice President, Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer of ArQule Inc., which was acquired for $2.7bn by Merck & Co. in 2020. Prior to ArQule, Dr. Schwartz was Chief Medical Officer at Ziopharm, having previously held several senior leadership roles at Bayer and LEO Pharma. He is a current Board Member of Mereo Biopharma and Enlivex and also served as a director of LifeSci Acquisition Corp. (a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company) in 2020. In addition, he serves as an advisor, SAB member and independent consultant for numerous biotech and investment companies. He received his medical degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, completed a fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada and practiced medicine prior to his career in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Samuel L. Barker, PhD

Dr. Barker has served as a director of the Company since September 2014. In 2001, Dr. Barker co-founded Clearview Projects, Inc., a provider of partnering and transaction services to biopharmaceutical companies, where he worked until September 2010, having served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2004. Dr. Barker served in a series of leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company until his retirement in 1999. His positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb included service as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Franchise Management and Strategy during 1998; President, United States Pharmaceuticals from 1992 to 1998; and President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Intercontinental Commercial Operations from 1989 to 1991. Prior to 1989, Dr. Barker held executive positions in research and development, manufacturing, business development and operations planning at Squibb Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Barker has served as a director of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since 2001 and as Chairman from 2005 to 2012. Dr. Barker also served as a director of Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2006 to 2014 and AtheroGenics, Inc. from 2005 to 2009. Dr. Barker received his B.S. from Henderson State College, his M.S. from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from Purdue University.

Robert J. Spiegel, MD

Vice-Chair

Dr. Spiegel has served as a director of the Company since September 2018. Dr. Spiegel has over 30 years of extensive R&D and operational experience in biopharmaceuticals, including large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and academic startups as well as an advisor to venture capital and private equity funds. Dr. Spiegel has also served as a director of Athenex, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company, since August 2020, of Geron Corp., a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, since May 2010, and of Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company since December 2017. Dr. Spiegel was an Assistant Professor and Director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at New York University Medical Center and then spent 25 years at Schering-Plough (subsequently acquired by Merck & Co.), where he joined as the first Director for Oncology Clinical Research. He subsequently held a series of senior executive positions, including Senior Vice President for Worldwide Clinical Research and Chief Medical Officer. During his time at Schering-Plough he led teams that took numerous drug candidates through clinical development and was involved with over 30 New Drug Application approvals by the U.S. FDA. For the last seven years, he has been a consultant to the biotech industry and has served on the Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Directors of multiple biotech companies. Dr. Spiegel received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his specialty training at the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health (NIH).

Christopher S. Henney, PhD, DSc

Chair

Dr. Henney has served as a director of the Company since March 2006. Dr. Henney became Chair of the Board of Directors of the Company in October 2020. Dr. Henney had served as a director of Xcyte Therapies Inc., acquired by the Company in 2006, since March 2005, and continued on as Vice Chairman of the Company. Previously, Dr. Henney co-founded three major publicly held U.S. biotechnology companies, Immunex, ICOS and Dendreon, and held a seat on the board of directors and executive positions at each company. From 1995 to January 2003, Dr. Henney was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dendreon Corporation. During part of 2016, he was also interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascadian Therapeutics Inc. and as the board member of Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., both biotechnology companies. He is also a director of Prothena Corporation plc. Dr. Henney received a Ph.D. in experimental pathology from the University of Birmingham and a D.Sc. from the same university for contributions to the field of immunology. In 2012, Dr. Henney was inducted into the Biotechnology Hall of Fame.

Kenneth M. Ferguson, Ph.D. 

Dr. Ferguson has worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for 30 years, and has led Research and Development operations in a number of publicly funded biotechnology companies. Dr. Ferguson is currently an operating partner at Accelerator Life Science Partners. He served, at various times in its history, as President, Vice President of Therapeutic Development and Senior Director of Research at ICOS Corporation. He was co-team leader of ICOS’ joint venture with Eli Lilly and Company that resulted in the launch of Cialis®/Adcirca® for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Subsequently, Dr. Ferguson was Vice President of Development and Chief Development Officer at Omeros Corporation and was involved in the approval and the launch of its first product for use in cataract surgery. Dr. Ferguson has also served as President and CEO of privately held Imvaxyn Corporation, a company dedicated to the exploration of new vaccine technology and was Chief Scientific Officer of EMulate Therapeutics. Dr. Ferguson graduated in biological sciences from Cornell University, obtained his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center Dallas, and completed his postdoctoral studies at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

Karin L. Walker, CPA

Ms. Walker has served as a director of the Company since November 2020 and has over 30 years of extensive finance experience in biopharmaceuticals, including in public biotechnology companies and technology companies. Ms. Walker currently serves as the Chief Accounting Officer of Prothena Corporation plc, a late-stage clinical company with expertise in protein dysregulation and a pipeline of novel investigational therapeutics focused on neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases and has held this position since 2013. Prior to joining Prothena, she was Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer of Affymax, Inc., a position she held from 2012 to 2013. From 2009 to 2012, Ms. Walker was Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller at Amyris Inc. From 2006 to 2009, she was Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller for CV Therapeutics, Inc. Ms. Walker also held senior financial leadership positions at Knight Ridder Digital, Accellion, Niku Corporation, Financial Engines, Inc. and NeoMagic Corporation. Ms. Walker also served as a director and Audit Committ Chair for LifeSci Acquisition Corp. (a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company) in 2020. Ms. Walker earned her B.S. in business from the California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and is a certified public accountant (CPA).