Jonathan Milner appointed as non-executive chairman of Healx

UK – Healx, a biotech company using artificial intelligence (AI) to find treatments for rare diseases, has named Dr. Jonathan Milner as its new non-executive chairman.

This change comes as co-founder and current chairman Dr. David Brown begins academic research at Trinity College, Cambridge. Dr. Brown will continue to serve on Healx’s board during his research tenure. ​

Dr. Milner is a well-known figure in the UK biotech industry. He founded Abcam, a company that supplies protein research tools, and grew it into a global leader before it was acquired in 2023 for nearly US$ 6 billion.

He also established the Milner Therapeutics Institute, which connects academic and industry researchers to speed up drug discovery. ​

“We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Dr. Milner, one of the industry’s brightest minds dedicated to reducing human suffering via the development of new healthcare technologies and medicines,” said Dr. Tim Guilliams, co-founder and CEO of Healx.

“His influence in the industry is truly impressive, and his achievements set the standard for our mission at Healx, where we strive to deliver life-changing therapies to patients.”​

Dr. Milner shared his thoughts on joining Healx: “As Dr. Brown carves out time to embark on this new academic journey, Healx eagerly anticipates his continued scientific leadership and valuable insights while he works with the Healx team to further define the third generation of drug discovery.

“As the new Chairman, and speaking for the entire Healx team, we extend our heartfelt congratulations on his acceptance to Trinity College.”​

Healx focuses on using AI to discover and develop treatments for rare diseases, which affect approximately 400 million people worldwide.

Despite the large number of rare diseases, only about 5% have approved treatments. Healx aims to change this by combining AI technology with drug discovery expertise to accelerate the development of new therapies. ​

The company was founded by Dr. Guilliams and Dr. Brown, who is known for co-inventing Viagra and serving as the global head of drug discovery at Roche.

Healx has raised around US$ 110 million to date and continues to work towards bringing effective treatments to patients with rare diseases. ​