Boyds appoints Laurence Skillern as Chief Medical Officer

Boyds, a leading global drug development consultancy, is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurence Skillern as Chief Medical Officer.

Laurence joins Boyds with extensive experience in pharmaceutical medicine and clinical development, bringing a strong track record of leadership across the development and delivery of innovative therapies. In his new role, Laurence will be responsible for leading and strengthening Boyds’ medical and clinical strategy, supporting clients across the full spectrum of drug development, and further enhancing the company’s medical and regulatory expertise.

Prior to joining Boyds, Laurence held senior leadership roles across a range of biopharmaceutical organisations, where he was instrumental in shaping clinical strategy and advancing pipeline assets through key development milestones. His experience spans both large pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechs (including Pfizer, Merck, Astellas Pharma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and more recently, Freya Biosciences), giving him a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities across global drug development.

Laurence has significant expertise across multiple therapy areas – spanning women’s health, urology, rheumatology, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, as well as CNS, cardiovascular and dermatological indications - and has played a pivotal role in the design and execution of clinical development programs from early-phase studies through to late-stage trials and regulatory submission. Laurence has a proven track record in delivering complex clinical programs, with multiple successful regulatory submissions and progression of innovative therapies towards approval and patient access.

He has also worked as a senior medical assessor at the UK Medicine Council Agency (MHRA predecessor) and headed up an academic Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) as a Visiting Professor at the University of East Anglia.

Professor Alan Boyd MBE, CEO and Founder of Boyds, said: “We are delighted to welcome Laurence to Boyds as Chief Medical Officer. His deep expertise in clinical development and proven leadership will be invaluable as we continue to support our clients in navigating and advancing the development of innovative medicines for patients. His appointment comes at a time when Boyds is experiencing increased demand for medical and pharmaceutical physician expertise.”

Commenting on his appointment, Laurence Skillern said: “I am excited to join Boyds at such a dynamic time for the business. Boyds has an outstanding reputation, and I look forward to working with the team to further strengthen the medical capabilities and support the successful development of new therapies.”

Laurence’s appointment reflects Boyds’ continued investment in senior medical and scientific leadership and its commitment to delivering high-quality drug development expertise to clients across the globe.

For more information, visit www.boydconsultants.com