A FIRM that develops antibody drugs to treat cancer has appointed a new executive director.

Milton Park-based Oxford BioTherapeutics has welcomed Dr John McHutchison, executive vice president in clinical research for Gilead Sciences, to its board.

Dr McHutchison has 20 years’ clinical and drug development experience, including Gilead’s programmes in liver diseases, haematology, oncology, inflammatory and respiratory diseases.

Past roles were at Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina and the University of Southern California.

Dr McHutchison, who will also continue in his post with Gilead, said: “I am delighted to be joining OBT at this exciting time.”