Dr. James Robert Murray

Dr. Jim Murray has 40 years world-wide experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, including 15 years with Gist-Brocades (now Astellas, Europe) in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. Positions held included Head of International Clinical Research, Head of Strategic Planning, Director of International Scientific Affairs, Director of Licensing, Medical Director for UK (with Board position), Belgium and Australia.

For 32 years, he has been Senior Partner of Blackmore Partners, Consultants to the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Until February 1999, he was with Shire Pharmaceuticals Group Plc. He was a co-founder and Medical Consultant, becoming full-time Research Director in 1990 and Scientific Director in 1996, just prior to Shire’s successful flotation on the London Stock Exchange. He was a full Board Member of the Group. Shire is now a FTSE 100 company.

Until June 2008, he was CEO and Medical and Business Director of Hunter-Fleming Ltd, an emerging speciality pharmaceutical company specialising in developing new treatments for inflammatory degenerative diseases from university research departments.

Dr Murray has been involved in the development of 8 products that have come to Market including 3 breakthrough (1st in class) compounds. Medical areas include Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology, Nephrology, Neurology and Rheumatology. He has been involved in drug development throughout Europe, North America, China, Japan (last visit was his 50th) and Australasia. He has served on 9 boards including start-ups, SMEs, AIM and fully listed companies including 1 in Boston USA.

He has been a part-time Medical Member of HM Courts and Tribunals Services (Ministry of Justice). Dr Murray is currently Chairman of Cutest Systems Ltd, a Phase I safety and efficacy Clinical Research Organisation for skin products; and a member of the board of the Charity SRT which runs 5 residential / nursing homes with a focus on dementia sufferers. He was for 10 years a member of the Advisory Board of Bristol University’s Research, Enterprise and Development Group helping to identify and develop University IP. He was a member of the Research and Industry Council of the South West Regional Development Agency. For 6 years Jim was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Breast Cancer Campaign, London and, for 5 years, a Trustee of the Wessex Cancer Trust in Southampton.

Dr Murray has degrees in Medicine and Surgery (Imperial College, Charing Cross Hospital, London); is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians; holds a Diploma in Obstetrics and Certificates in Family Planning and Reproductive Medicine from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; is a Life Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners; Member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the British Medical Association, and the Institute of Directors. He is also a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.