1 December 2020 - - China-based biotechnology company Ascletis Pharma Inc's (HKEX: 1672) Gannex business has named Melissa Palmer, MD as chief medical officer, effective December 1, 2020, the company said.

Prior to joining Gannex, Dr. Palmer was Head of Liver Disease Clinical Development at Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals (OTC: TKPHF).

She has also held senior leadership positions at Shire Pharmaceuticals and Kadmon Corp., where she was in charge of the global development of NASH and other liver disease programmes.

Prior to joining industry, she was clinical professor at NYU Langone Medical Center and director of Hepatology at NYU Plainview, NY.

Since 1991, Dr. Palmer served as a Hepatology consultant to more than 40 biotech and pharmaceutical companies and was a primary investigator on numerous clinical trials in liver disease.

Ascletis is an R and D driven biotech and listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1672.HK). Ascletis is committed to developing and commercializing innovative drugs in the areas of viral hepatitis, NASH and HIV/AIDS for unmet medical needs in China and globally.