Miguel Forte joins TxCell

French biotech TxCell has appointed Miguel Forte to fill its newly-created role of chief medical officer.

Miguel joins the company from UCB, where he was vice-president global medical affairs inflammation worldwide and prior to this spent two years at Nabi Pharmaceuticals as vice-president clinical, medical and regulatory affairs Europe.

Before this he spent six years with Bristol-Myers Squibb successively as medical director, executive director infectious diseases, immunology and dermatology and vice-president international medical organisation in Portugal and Belgium.

Joining TxCell's management team and reporting to chief executive Frederic Hammel he will be responsible for the clinical department, clinical operations, clinical trials management and design.

"The newly created role of Chief Medical Officer is a significant step forward in TxCell's development as well as demonstrating the company's commitment to patient care," said TxCell chief executive Frederic Hammel. "We are very proud and excited to welcome Miguel to our team."

TxCell SA was spun out of Inserm (France's National Institute for Health and Medical Research) in 2001. The company develops an innovative immunomodulating approach, using living cells to regenerate the equilibrium of the immune system in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.