The CEO and co-founder of MedTech Microbiotica has stepped down after six years.
Mike Romanos is leaving to take up the role of associate dean of enterprise in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College.
Current COO Tim Sharpington will take over the CEO role at Microbiotica, a leading player in microbiome-based therapeutics and biomarkers, at the start of 2023. The company’s platform enables strain-level microbiome analysis linked to patient phenotypes.
In March 2022, the company raised a £50 million Series B round of funding to fund Phase 1b clinical trials in immuno-oncology and ulcerative colitis and the expansion of its pipeline to other indications. The fundraise was the largest microbiome-related financing in Europe to date.
Sharpington has established a track record of leading, developing and executing company strategy, with experience in product development, fundraising, M&A and licensing. He has over 30 years’ experience in senior executive and non-executive roles in pharma, BioTech and CROs across Europe and the US, and has developed multiple approved products. Prior companies include Vectura, Arakis, ICON, Sequus and Open Orphan/hVIVO.
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“It has been hugely rewarding to have spun out Microbiotica from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in 2016 with my co-founders Trevor Lawley and Gordon Dougan, and to see it become a leader in microbiome-based therapeutics,” said Romanos.
“I’m now excited to be moving to a new role where I can use the breadth of my experience to promote enterprise and translation across biomedicine at Imperial.
“I am delighted to be handing on the CEO role of Microbiotica to Tim, who has been an exceptional colleague and who has the leadership, experience and expertise to lead the company to success in its critical next phase as it develops transformational products.
“I wish Tim and the team at Microbiotica every success.”
Hans Schikan, chairman of Microbiotica, said: “Since Tim joined the company almost two years ago, he and Mike have worked very closely together and Tim is the obvious candidate to be the next CEO as the company moves to clinical-stage.”
Sharpington added: “Mike has been a major part of Microbiotica and he leaves the company well positioned and financed and with a leading platform for microbiome therapeutics.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Mike and the Microbiotica team for the last two years and I am excited to take the company forward as CEO as we prepare to take our lead programmes in immuno-oncology and ulcerative colitis into their first clinical trials, a major step in bringing these novel therapeutics to patients.”
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