BRIEF — Verona CMO to resign

Verona Pharma, a London-based firm specializing in the treatment of respiratory diseases, has announced the resignation of its chief medical officer effective April 30.

Kenneth Newman has held the post since January 2015, having previously worked as chief medical officer at Acton Pharmaceuticals and vice president at Boehringer Ingelheim. The company has begun its search for a replacement.

Jan-Anders Karlsson, CEO of Verona Pharma, said: “We thank Ken for his outstanding service and many contributions to the company. Over the past three years, he has led the acceleration of RPL554’s clinical development program into Phase IIb trials and overseen seven successful clinical trials. He played an instrumental role in establishing our US presence and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”