Karl Keegan has joined Atlantic Healthcare as Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining the UK speciality pharmaceutical firm, which is located in Saffron Walden, Essex, he gained significant experience in the UK, European and US healthcare markets working in senior positions at a number of private and publicly listed companies and leading international investment banks.
Most recently, Keegan was Chief Corporate Development Officer at Vectura Group, where he was responsible for M&A identification and execution, business development, alliance management and investor relations.
In 2010, he became CFO at Pharming Group NV where he led a series of financings to progress the growth of business, and the development of the late stage clinical pipeline.
In 2009, he was CFO at Minster Pharmaceuticals concluding in a successful sale of the business.
Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a biotech analyst with a number of City firms including Canaccord (as Head of Research), UBS and Bank of America.
He began his career at SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) in research, later moving into strategic product development.
At Atlantic Healthcare Keegan will be responsible for executing the financial strategy in support of the Group’s growth plans.
To date, the Group has raised approximately $40 million.
Its lead product, alicaforsen, is undergoing a Phase III trial for pouchitis, with read-out estimated in the second half of next year.
Alicaforsen is ready to start a second Phase III trial in ulcerative colitis.
The group is also developing alternative formulations of alicaforsen to treat other IBD indications including Crohn's disease.
