Levicept has strengthened its executive team with the appointment of James Sandy as chief development officer, supporting the advancement of LEVI-04, a first-in-class therapy for osteoarthritis. Sandy brings more than 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience across therapeutic areas and clinical phases 1 to 4, having previously held leadership roles at F-star Therapeutics, Ellipses Pharma, Immunocore and Creabilis Pharmaceuticals.

As chief development officer, Sandy will support CEO Eliot Forster and CSO Simon Westbrook in guiding the clinical development of LEVI-04 and advising on due diligence and funding activities. LEVI-04, a p75NTR-Fc biological therapy, targets NT-3, part of the neurotrophin family, and has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial in over 500 patients. The therapy is being evaluated for its potential to modify the course of osteoarthritis while alleviating pain.

Eliot Forster, CEO of Levicept, said: “LEVI-04 has delivered very impressive Phase II data and is exciting as a potentially ground-breaking therapy in OA. I am delighted to welcome James to the team to support us in steering the best path for its further development.” He added that Sandy’s experience in team leadership and programme delivery would help maximise the chances of LEVI-04 reaching patients with a new, safe treatment for osteoarthritis.

Sandy said he was “excited to be part of the Levicept team driving the development of LEVI-04.” He added that “the safe and effective management of chronic pain conditions remains a critical need in medicine” and that existing therapies can be limited by side effects, addiction risks or inadequate pain control. Based on clinical data to date, Sandy noted that LEVI-04 “has the potential to be a breakthrough disease-modifying pain therapy for osteoarthritis” and he looked forward to advancing it through further studies.

Levicept recently received an investigational new drug approval from the FDA and is preparing the design of later-phase studies to continue the development of LEVI-04 as a potentially disease-modifying analgesic therapy. The company said the appointment of Sandy is intended to accelerate clinical development while supporting regulatory and commercial planning.