Singapore: Living Cell Technologies has appointed Dr Paul Tan as its chief science and medical officer.

As CSMO, Dr Tan is tasked with leading the company's clinical trial programs for DIABECELL and NTCELL. He will also lead the research and development and technology transfer teams at LCT, so that LCT has a growing pipeline of novel, breakthrough products entering clinical development to treat diseases of high unmet need.

Dr Tan has more than 18 years' experience in senior roles in the biotechnology industry, leading research and development teams into clinical trials in the US, UK, New Zealand, Philippines, Brazil and Russia. He has managed relationships with regulatory bodies including Medsafe of New Zealand, the FDA and Centre for Disease Control in the US. In both his executive and consulting roles, Dr Tan has secured substantial government and private investor funding for the research and development of therapeutic products and he has successfully transferred multiple therapeutic products into a GMP manufacturing environment.

"Many will know that Dr Tan previously held senior executive roles at LCT from 2004 to late 2010," said Dr Andrea Grant, managing director, LCT. "Since stepping down, Dr Tan has acted regularly as a senior consultant to LCT on research, clinical and regulatory matters. Paul has extensive knowledge of LCT's people, science and therapeutic and regulatory strategy. Coupled with this he brings an intimate knowledge and an enviable reputation in the New Zealand and Australian biotechnology, government and health sectors. I'm truly excited to have him re-join the team."

Emeritus Professor Bob Elliott, who has been acting CSMO since June this year, will now focus on his governance roles as a board member of LCT and chair of the board of Diatranz Otsuka, LCT's joint venture with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory. Professor Elliott will also continue on the executive management team of LCT on a part-time basis as director of clinical research and innovation. As such, he will principally be providing key strategic advice on clinical development and research innovation matters.

Dr Tan serves also as the chair of the Board of Directors of NZBIO, the New Zealand industry association for bioscience. He joined LCT as managing director of LCT New Zealand in 2004, and served the company as chief executive officer from 2008-2010. His major accomplishments include taking DIABECELL, the world's first animal to human cell therapy program, to regulatory approval for clinical trials under international guidelines, developing the designated pathogen-free pig facility suitable for human therapeutics under international guidelines.

Dr Tan also initiated several strategic commercial alliances and created significant international peer and governmental support for LCT. Dr Tan stepped down from his role at LCT in 2010 to work as an independent consultant to several biotechnology companies in New Zealand, including LCT. Before this Dr Tan was CEO of CenTec, a biotech company spun off from Centenary Institute for Cancer and Cell Biology, affiliated to the University of Sydney, from 2002-2004.

Dr Tan was founding deputy director and head of Health Research at Genesis Research and Development Corporation from 1994-2002, where he managed the intellectual property and patent filings and the clinical trial program.

Prior to his career in the biotechnology industry, Dr Tan was associate professor of immunology at The University of Auckland and rheumatology consultant at Auckland Hospital. He graduated from the University of Singapore and undertook postgraduate training at the University of Toronto.