Melbourne, Australia:  Starpharma (ASX:SPL; OTCQX:SPHRY) today announced the appointment of an additional Vice President of Business Development with extensive pharmaceutical licensing experience.

Ms Eve Williamson, who will commence in the role with Starpharma in the New Year, has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years including senior roles in business development, marketing and sales, pricing and reimbursement, and clinical research.

Eve has spent the last 12 years in business development, during which time she was responsible for the negotiation of more than 40 licence agreements with leading international companies including Cephalon, Pfizer, Watson, Roche and Chugai.

With a strong partnering model at the core of Starpharma’s commercial strategy and with multiple near-term products opportunities, Ms Williamson’s skills and experience will complement the Company’s already strong business development team, which in recent years has secured partnerships with leading companies including Lilly, GSK, AstraZeneca, Ansell, Okamoto and Nufarm.

Ms Williamson has worked for companies including Astra Zeneca, FH Faulding/Mayne/ Hospira and a private company, Phebra, where she was responsible for significant sales growth.  At Hospira/Mayne she headed up the Business Development Team for the Asia Pacific region driving double digit growth via internal projects and an extensive licensing program.  At Hospira Eve also had significant involvement in the development and launch of a number of oncology products including docetaxel.

“Eve joins Starpharma at an important and exciting period of our development,” said Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley.

“The Company’s dendrimer-enhanced version of docetaxel has shown enhanced efficacy and tumour targeting abilities.  Eve’s extensive experience in signing the deals that are critical to bringing products like this to market will ensure Starpharma remains well placed to capitalise on the huge potential we see across our portfolio of innovative drug and agrochemical candidates.”

Ms Williamson is a registered Pharmacist and worked as a hospital pharmacist prior to joining industry in 1989.  Eve also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Business from the University of Melbourne.

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