Industry Spotlight: Graham Dixon, BSc, PhD, CEO and Executive Director, Neem Biotech

Please provide a short description of your background, training, and experience.
I have 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, with 15 years in big pharma within senior management positions in research and development (R&D) as well as 15 years in a number of successful biotechs in C-level management positions. Throughout my professional career, I developed expertise in all phases of R&D across multiple therapeutic areas, including raising significant funds and serving as the architect of several clinical stage licensing deals.

In addition to serving as the CEO and Executive Director of the Supervisory Board at Neem Biotech (concurrently serve as a member of several scientific advisory boards and supervisory boards as a non-executive director and am a strategic advisor to several venture capital firms and their portfolio companies.

Prior to starting my career, I obtained a BSc in Applied Biology from University of Bradford (United Kingdom) and my PhD in Biochemistry from University of Swansea (Wales, United Kingdom).

What would Neem like readers to know about the company?
Neem Biotech is a pharmaceutical biotechnology company that is based in the Welsh Valleys of the United Kingdom. Neem is a small company that has a big heart and big goals. Arising from humble beginnings, it has grown in 5 years from single staff numbers to a team of nearly 25 at the moment. Neem aspires to play a leading role in bringing about better quality of life for people with chronic wounds through the development of non-traditional antibiotics.

Neem’s staff have a diverse mix of chemical and biological expertise; they apply this expertise and their cumulative problem-solving skills in the company’s drug development program. Our flagship drug development program targets better management of acute, localized, or spreading infections that occur in chronic wounds.

The company has generated deep expertise in quorum sensing, the chemical signaling processes that bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa use to proliferate and evade the effects of both the hosts’ immune system and any antibiotics that may be taken ultimately harming the hosts. Neem’s lead product’s quorum sensing capabilities create a unique opportunity to minimize bacterial invasion of surrounding tissue, decrease damage to this tissue, reduce attachment by bacteria to surrounding surfaces, and disrupt the formation of biofilms. As a potential nontraditional antibiotic, successful development of this candidate could bring a novel approach that targets the harmful effects of bacteria in wounds.

What are your day-to-day and extraordinary responsibilities as the CEO of Neem?
I see my most important responsibility as leading a team of committed and talented scientists through the process of taking a compound that shows promise to treat and prevent the spread of infection in wounds through the necessary discovery and development processes so that this compound can be tested for use as a first-in-class therapy in the treatment of wound infection. This is not only my day-to-day focus but also an extraordinary privilege.

As the face of the company, I have the honor of presenting Neem Biotech’s work at conferences, meetings, round table discussions and panels such as the ASM Biofilms conference recently held in Washington, DC. This can mean a fair amount of traveling on occasion. This provides the opportunity for Neem to become an internationally-recognized biotech company.

As Neem’s activities are expanding, at least some time every day is spent in making sure that the company has the necessary resources and direction to allow this growth to take place.

As a hands-on CEO, my day-to-day office schedule involves keeping track of my team’s progress and wellbeing. This translates to spending a large part of my time in face-to-face discussions with my staff. The back-office functions of my role are no less important: corporate and board functions mean that the company remains on-course strategically and financially.

What is the biggest challenge you face working in the realm of wound care?
Wounds are a multifaceted and complex phenomenon, with many different outcome permutations possible. One of the factors that impacts outcomes is the presence of infection in wounds and the individual’s specific responses to treatments received for such wounds. Bacteria such as S aureus and P aeruginosa are frequently found in wounds and can be particularly difficult to treat effectively. A legacy technical challenge is that wound interventions have historically often not received positive opinions from regulatory authorities in view of this complexity. This and bringing an intervention with a novel mechanism of action are the challenges we will need to overcome. Challenges can, however, also be viewed as opportunities, and this is how Neem has chosen to view our work in the management of wound infections.

What do you find to be the most rewarding parts of your job?
It is a very privileged position to be part of a process that moves an idea from being a concept into a tangible, biologically-active compound that shows a positive effect on human disease conditions. I have had the privilege of being involved in about 10 such programs where small molecule compounds were translated from ideas in chemists’ and biologists’ heads to compounds that showed good effect in human trials. This is a very powerful motivating factor and one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. 

In day-to-day practice, rewarding moments have included achievements such as successful identification of a drug candidate after months of intensive experimentation and testing, receiving word of a successful submission to regulatory authorities or being awarded grant funding to take the program further. These milestones make all the hard work on the team’s part worthwhile.

What about Neem attracted you to the company?
The innovative approach to an area of high unmet need, the energizing culture that fosters invention and achievement, and the team of expert and highly motivated individuals.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I live by the motto “work hard, play hard.” In addition, I have a delightful young family that ensures I get away from thinking about work all the time. Lastly, I am a musician and enjoy live music of all types which helps me relax.

What book/reading material is sitting on your nightstand/coffee table?
I currently have 50 Years of Rolling Stone: The Music, Politics and People that Changed Our Culture on my coffee table.