Seres Health Announces Addition of Mark Wilcox, M.D. to Scientific Advisory Board

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Seres Health, Inc., a leading microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs that are designed to treat diseases by restoring the function of a dysbiotic microbiome, announced today the addition of Mark Wilcox, M.D., of the University of Leeds, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

"Mark is one of the foremost experts on Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Europe and we are very pleased to have him join our SAB," said Dr. Roger J. Pomerantz, President, CEO and Chairman of Seres Health. "We are eager to draw upon his extensive knowledge and insights as we move forward with opportunities in the European Union."

"Mark's research interests and advisory roles are directly aligned with our focus on diseases of the gastrointestinal microbiome, including serious infections, inflammation and metabolic disorders," said Dr. David Cook, EVP of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer of Seres Health. "He is a welcome addition to our team and will contribute greatly to our efforts in developing microbiome therapeutics to treat and prevent CDI."

Professor Wilcox is Head of Microbiology and Academic Lead of Pathology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTHT), Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Leeds, and is the Lead on Clostridium difficile for Public Health England (PHE). He is Chair of PHE's Rapid Review Panel, Deputy Chair of the UK Department of Health's Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Committee and is a member of the PHE's Programme Board on Healthcare Associated Infection & Antimicrobial Resistance. Prof. Wilcox is also an advisor to the European Centre for Disease Control. He has provided clinical advice as part of the FDA/EMA submissions for the approval of several novel antimicrobial agents.

Prof. Wilcox heads a Healthcare Associated Infection research team at the University of Leeds, on projects that include multiple aspects of Clostridium difficile infection, diagnostics, staphylococcal infection, and the clinical development of new antimicrobial agents. He was the senior author on a 2014 publication in Lancet Infectious Diseases, the EUCLID study, which documented that CDI is significantly under-reported in Europe. This work has led to increased visibility of this important disease at the level of the European Parliament. Prof. Wilcox has authored more than 360 papers and published a number of books and chapters.

"I am thrilled to be involved with such an innovative company developing drugs to treat serious diseases," said Prof. Wilcox. "I have been researching and treating CDI for many years and the approach that Seres is taking has the potential to change the treatment paradigm and reduce our reliance on ineffective antibiotics for recurrent disease."

About Seres Health

Seres Health is a leading microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs that are designed to treat diseases by restoring the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. For more information, please visit www.sereshealth.com.