Summit Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: SMMT) today announces that Mr. Michael Donaldson has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Donaldson brings to Summit over 20 years of finance experience, including the last nine years working in corporate finance.

“Michael joins us at an exciting time in Summit’s growth with our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials of our precision antibiotic candidate, ridinilazole, and the potential to bring a superior product to patients with C. difficile infection,” said Mr. Bob Duggan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Summit. “We welcome Michael’s expertise across a range of financial solutions for biotech companies as we look to build an antibiotics company focused on patient- and microbiome-friendly solutions to serious infectious diseases.”

“Summit has a clear focus and vision for bringing much-needed new antibiotic classes to market, beginning with ridinilazole,” commented Mr. Donaldson. “We have a chance to significantly improve patients’ experiences with infectious diseases by targeting the bad bacteria and preserving the healthy bacteria of the microbiome. I look forward to building value for the Company, shareholders and most importantly, the patients.”

Mr. Donaldson joins Summit from Goldfinch Bio, Inc., where he led finance and accounting as Vice President, Finance, and Corporate Controller. Previously, he served as Vice President, Finance, Corporate Controller and Assistant Treasurer at ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARIA), which was acquired by Takeda (TKPHF) for $5.2 billion in February 2017. Prior to that, he was the Corporate Controller for Hittite Microwave Corporation (HITT), which was acquired by Analog Devices for $2.4 billion in July 2014. Mr. Donaldson spent the first 11 years of his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He received his undergraduate degree in accounting and information systems from the University of Massachusetts and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.

About Summit Therapeutics
Summit Therapeutics, led by its Discuva Platform, the Company's discovery engine, is a leader in antibiotic innovation. Our new mechanism antibiotics are designed to become the patient-friendly new era standard of care for those suffering from infectious disease, subject to regulatory approvals, and create value for payors and healthcare providers. In the present time, we are developing new mechanism antibiotics to treat infections caused by C. difficile, Enterobacteriaceae and N. gonorrhoeae and are using our proprietary Discuva Platform to expand our pipeline. For more information, visit www.summitplc.com and follow us on Twitter @summitplc.