FABPulous BV Announces evolved Executive Management Team
Following successful completion of the €2.2m Series B funding round, FABPulous BV reorganises roles within an enlarged management team to meet the challenges of evolution from R&D start up to a commercial enterprise.
29th June 2015, Maastricht (Netherlands) – FABPulous BV today announced a restructure of its executive management team. The company, founded in 2008 by Professor Jan Glatz to develop point of care in vitro diagnostic (IVD) for the early detection of H-FABP, an early biomarker for myocardial infarction, was led through the R&D phase by Diederik Engbersen, culminating in the CE-marking of the H-FABP True Rapid Test® in 2013. Trials to provide the necessary clinical evidence began in family doctors (RAPIDA study, Belgium & Netherlands) in late 2014; and in emergency medicine (BEST Study, Manchester, England) in early 2015. The company intends commercial launch of the product by 2016.
Joining Drs. Engbersen and Glatz on the management team are Rik van den Berg and Conor O’Brien. To deliver the translation from R&D to commercial enterprise, FABPulous has shuffled the responsibilities to meet the new demands. O’Brien takes the role of Chief Executive Officer, with a focus on leading the creation of the necessary clinical evidence and setting up a commercial enterprise, with Engbersen stepping into the role of Chief Technology Officer, responsible for managing manufacturing processes and the development of the product pipeline. Van den Berg takes the seat as Chief Financial Officer; and Prof Glatz retains his advisory role as Chief Scientific Officer.
Commenting on the new executive team, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Michel Briejer said “The Supervisory Board is extremely satisfied with the new setup of management team. The team is highly complementary and eager to make the H-FABP True Rapid Test the success it deserves to be”.
About the Executive Management Team:
Conor O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer- Mr. O’Brien has 30 years of experience in healthcare and life science sales and marketing and held senior management roles at the UK subsidiaries of Organon Teknika, bioMérieux and Siemens before moving into general management with Iris Diagnostics Ltd. Mr. O’Brien has an MBA with a strategic marketing focus from the University of Durham Business School.
Diederik Engbersen MSc, Chief Technology Officer- Former senior marketing and R&D director at bioMérieux, an over $1 billion IVD company, Mr. Engbersen completed his medical degree at Leiden University before joining Organon Teknika (AKZO) marketing department, where he held various international Sales & Marketing, R&D and General Management positions prior to its acquisition by bioMérieux in 2001.
Rik van den Berg, Chief Financial Officer- A former banker, Mr. Van den Berg is a financial professional with experience in restructuring of SME companies in healthcare and other sectors and
with a broad M&A and business banking knowledge. Mr. Van den Berg has a business degree and extensive experience in export markets.
Jan Glatz PhD, co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer- Professor Glatz discovered H-FABP as a marker of myocardial injury, first published in 1988, and is a Professor of Cardiac Metabolism at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University. Professor Glatz has co- authored approximately 350 scientific publications, has been or is a member of the Editorial Board of various scientific journals and currently is president of the International Society for Heart and Vascular Metabolism (SHVM).
About FABPulous:
FABPulous is a venture capital-backed company that was spun out of Maastricht University at the end of 2008. In December 2009 FABPulous closed a first equity financing round co-led by Thuja Capital, Health Innovations, Limburg Ventures and NV Industriebank LIOF. FABPulous develops and markets pioneering Point of Care (PoC) solutions for better diagnostics in primary care and emergency medicine. It currently consists of two legal entities, FABPulous B.V. with the head office in Maastricht, The Netherlands; and FABPulous Ltd, based in Cambridge, UK at which site the commercial activities for the group are executed. Its partners include Diagnostic Consultancy Network (DCN), Carlsbad CA, US for the development of the lateral flow detection technology; Symbient, Carlsbad CA, US for the design and development of the integrated device; and International Point of Care (IPOC), Toronto, Canada for the manufacturing of the product.
For further information please contact:
Conor O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer – email at c.obrien@fabpulous.com
FABPulous BV FABPulous Ltd
Oxfordlaan 55 St John’s Innovation Centre
6229 EV Maastricht Cowley Road, Cambridge
Netherlands CB4 0WS, UK