From left to right: Dr Paul Overton, Dr Simon Hirst, Dr Paul Clewlow.

Sygnature Discovery, a leading independent integrated drug discovery and pre-clinical solutions provider, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Dr Paul Overton as Senior VP of Business Development, focusing primarily on expanding Sygnature’s North American market. In this newly created role, he will work alongside Dr Paul Clewlow, Senior VP, Business Development and Executive Board Director.

Dr Overton has more than 20 years’ experience in business development roles within the CRO sector. He joins Sygnature from the Global testing specialist Eurofins, where he was Head of European Sales, Marketing and Key Account Management. His previous employers include Evotec and Aptuit where he was Global Head of Business Development and Marketing. Paul has a biological sciences background with a PhD in cell biology obtained from the University of Surrey. After several years working in various research laboratories, he made the move into business development.

Sygnature’s established reputation for quality and scientific excellence in drug discovery was a real attraction to Dr Overton. ‘This is an exciting, dynamic and fast-growing science-driven company. I am really looking forward to building stronger relationships with existing US customers and creating further strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical and biotech companies,’ he says. ‘A key part of my role will be to build up the US-based business development team in our office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and expand our footprint in other key areas, including San Diego and San Francisco.’

Dr Clewlow welcomes the fact that Dr Overton is to lead business development activities in North America. ‘More than half of our business is currently in the US, with a mixture of big pharma and VC-backed biotech clients,’ he says. ‘I have known Paul for a number of years and his experience in business development and drug discovery will be invaluable in accelerating our business growth there. He will also make a significant contribution to our global sales and marketing strategy.’

‘There has been a rapid growth in our client base, and we see huge potential for the future with major pharmaceutical and biotech companies,’ says CEO Dr Simon Hirst. ‘Business development is critical to achieving this, and Paul Overton’s experience within larger companies will be extremely helpful to us as we grow. We now over 365 staff at Sygnature and working together Paul and Paul will be key in helping us build our worldwide client base and forge important strategic partnerships with clients. With the increasing complexity of the integrated drug discovery programmes we undertake, their skills in delivering these projects will be invaluable.’

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About Sygnature Discovery
Sygnature Discovery is a leading independent integrated drug discovery and pre-clinical solutions provider. Private equity-backed since 2017, they operate fully enabled research facilities in Nottingham and Alderley Park, UK, housing more than 250 research scientists (over 80% of whom hold a PhD) and have an office presence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Their experienced drug-hunters possess all the professional skills and know-how required to undertake the most demanding of research programmes, and drive them from target validation through hit identification, hit-to-lead and lead optimisation to pre-clinical development candidate. Since 2011, 31 compounds discovered by Sygnature for clients have entered pre-clinical development and so far 15 of these have progressed to clinical trials (Phases I, II and III). In 2017, Sygnature Discovery received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

For further information, visit: www.sygnaturediscovery.com