Levicept Appoints Pharma Veteran James Sandy As Chief Development Officer To Lead LEVI-04 Osteoarthritis Therapy After Promising Phase II Trials

Levicept Ltd, a biotechnology company focused on the development of LEVI-04, a first-in-class therapy for osteoarthritis, has announced the appointment of James Sandy as Chief Development Officer. James Sandy brings over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, covering a wide range of therapeutic areas and all phases of drug development from Phase I through Phase IV. He was most recently Chief Development Officer at F-star Therapeutics, where he was responsible for overseeing multiple oncology clinical trials and broader development initiatives.

Prior to his time at F-star, James held Chief Development Officer roles at Ellipses Pharma, Immunocore, and Creabilis Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, he held senior positions at AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Throughout his career, James has played a key role in advancing several drugs to regulatory filing, including Celebrex for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain.

Previously serving as a consultant to Levicept, James will now join the executive leadership team, working closely with CEO Eliot Forster and CSO and co-founder Simon Westbrook. In his role, he will guide the development of LEVI-04 and provide strategic support across activities including due diligence and funding initiatives.

LEVI-04 [p75NTR-Fc] is the first therapy in a new class of biological treatments designed to address both the symptoms and underlying causes of osteoarthritis. The therapy works by inhibiting NT-3, a member of the neurotrophin family of proteins. LEVI-04 has completed a Phase II clinical trial involving more than 500 patients, demonstrating a promising safety and efficacy profile. Levicept has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the FDA and is planning later-phase studies to continue development of LEVI-04 as a potential disease-modifying analgesic therapy for osteoarthritis.

Eliot Forster, Chief Executive Officer of Levicept, said that LEVI-04 had delivered encouraging Phase II results and could represent a breakthrough therapy for osteoarthritis. He expressed his pleasure in welcoming James to the team, noting that his extensive experience in drug development, leadership, and programme delivery would help maximise the potential for LEVI-04 to reach patients in need of a safe and effective new treatment.

James Sandy, Chief Development Officer of Levicept, said he was excited to join the company and contribute to advancing LEVI-04. He noted that the safe and effective management of chronic pain remains an important unmet medical need, as existing treatments can have limitations due to side effects, risk of addiction, or inadequate pain control. Based on the clinical data to date and the therapy’s mechanism of action, he believes LEVI-04 has the potential to be a breakthrough disease-modifying therapy for osteoarthritis. He looks forward to collaborating with the leadership team to advance LEVI-04 through further studies toward commercialization.