Servatus strengthens Board with appointment of biopharmaceutical division head at Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr Uwe Buecheler

• New Board appointment deepens and consolidates Servatus' extensive commercial and scientific expertise for its global biotherapeutics programs
• Dr Buecheler joins as Non-Executive Director from leading pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany, where he is both Senior Vice President and Senior Advisor Biopharmaceuticals to the Board of Directors
• +30 years at Boehringer Ingelheim, he leads the biopharmaceuticals business in Germany, Austria and US, and recently developed a new site in Shanghai, China
• Holds responsibility for major expansion projects, more than 30 Biologics approvals/launches and more than 5 Top 20 global biopharmaceuticals 
• This appointment will accelerate Servatus' unique drug discovery and development programs.

SYDNEY, May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Servatus Limited, an Australian biopharmaceutical company delivering leading novel autoimmune and microbiome therapies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Uwe Buecheler to its Board as Non-Executive Director. Dr Buecheler is a leading molecular biologist with more than 30 years of biopharmaceuticals experience at Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany. Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and the largest private pharmaceutical company, with annual revenues exceeding USD17bn and more than 50,000 employees.

Dr Uwe Buecheler's appointment brings significant commercial and scientific experience to the Servatus Board at a time when the company is bolstering its Australian research and development capabilities for market-leading live biotherapeutic programs, including clinical trials for IBS-C, insomnia, rheumatoid arthritis and other health problems associated with the gut-microbiome-brain axis.

Dr Buecheler serves as Senior Advisor Biopharmaceuticals to the Board of Management Directors of Boehringer Ingelheim, having joined the Company in 1991. During his time at Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr Buecheler held a variety of senior roles across CMC development, Regulatory, Biosafety, Quality, and as Site Head and Lead for an expansion of Boehringer Ingelheim's Global Operations Network in Europe, the US and China. He pioneered 1^st Biologics MAH approval in Shanghai and played a key role in major expansion projects in aseptic processing, microbial manufacturing and large-scale mammalian cell culture operations. Dr Buecheler has overseen more than 30 Biologics approvals/launches, including more than five top 20 global biopharmaceuticals.

Dr Wayne Finlayson, CEO of Servatus commented: "We are thrilled to have Dr Uwe Buecheler join our Board as Non-Executive Director. Uwe brings extensive scientific and commercial leadership as well as invaluable experience in developing global biopharmaceutical operations. His appointment will significantly strengthen our Board capabilities and further complement the high calibre team Servatus has drawn from around the world as we look to advance development of our market-leading biotherapeutics programs. We hope to leverage Uwe's vast knowledge and experience gained throughout his many years at Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, while expanding Servatus' core business units over the next three years."

Dr Uwe Buecheler said: "I am delighted to join Servatus' Board during an exciting period of growth for the Company. Servatus is backed by a highly experienced and credible team that is at the forefront of microbial biotherapeutics and it is an honour for me to take up this opportunity to help contribute to the growth of Servatus during a pivotal time in the company's history. I look forward to delivering on our objectives to maximise the global expansion capabilities of this leading business over the next three years and beyond."

Dr Buecheler did his PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Heidelberg and the Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. He was awarded Professor h.c. at the University of Ulm and is a member of Advisory Boards of University's and the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM). In addition, he is Chairman of the Biopharma Cluster South Germany and is a member of several biopharmaceutical industry associations, including the international leadership forum of ISPE.

About Servatus | www.servatus.com.au^[1]

Founded in 2012, Servatus Ltd is an Australian-owned biopharmaceutical company devoted to creating safe, effective, and reliable microbiome-based therapeutic drugs to treat several chronic and debilitating autoimmune diseases, as well as non-antibiotic treatments for bacterial infections. In addition to our innovative drug research and development, and ongoing clinical trials, Servatus also owns a state-of-the-art production facility. Our own production facility means that Servatus is able to oversee all aspects of the research development and production pipeline and ensure that our live microbial biotherapeutic drug candidates are made to our high-standard and specifications, removing the logistical uncertainty often associated with outsourcing manufacturing. Servatus is an unlisted public company with headquarters in Coolum, Queensland. The Company derives its name from St Servatus who was a churchman and diplomat in the fourth century and become Bishop of Tongeren, a city and municipality now in modern-day Belgium. Servatus was invoked by Catholics as a patron saint, with healing powers for a range of ailments, including rheumatism.

About Live Biotherapeutics

A primary research focus for Servatus is the development of live biotherapeutics (live micro-organisms) which can be used to prevent or treat disease. Historically, the application of selected bacterial strains has been devoted to the modulation and repair of the gut microbiome. However, Servatus' research concentrates on developing live biotherapeutic products that are applicable to the prevention, treatment or cure of specific diseases or conditions in humans. Servatus targets autoimmune and inflammatory conditions associated with dysbiosis and immune dysregulation, including ulcerative colitis, arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and gastrointestinal and urogenital tract infections. Servatus utilises bacterial strains that have not been widely employed previously. They have demonstrated bioactive properties that inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth and infection, modulate immune responses and regulate inflammatory signals. The efficacy of the bacterial strains is due to structures on their cell surface and, importantly, the biological effector molecules they secrete, which interact and communicate with the body's own cells. The bacterial candidates are developed to act directly at specific sites within the gastrointestinal tract and at targeted organ sites that are influenced by microbial interactions.

References

1. ^{^} www.servatus.com.au (www.servatus.com.au)