Evocutis chief executive ready to step down by the end of the week

The firm had announced at the beginning of last month that Dr Jones was quitting the Wetherby-based skin technology group to join another company.

It had said Dr Jones would leave in a maximum of six months to join an unnamed and unrelated healthcare company. Yesterday, it confirmed Dr Jones would resign on Friday.

Gwyn Humphreys, currently senior non-executive director of the company, has been appointed as interim chief executive pending the appointment of a new chief executive.

Tom Bannatyne, chairman, said: “I am delighted that Gwyn has agreed to act as interim CEO pending the appointment of a replacement for Dr Jones. Gwyn, a microbial biochemist by training, has over 40 years of experience in the biotechnology sector.

“Having spent ten years at Celltech he was a co-founder and CEO of one of the UK’s most successful university spin-out companies, Bradford Particle Design, which was sold in 2001 for $200m.”

Dr Humphreys is also non-executive chairman of Avacta.

Evocutis recently changed its name from Syntopix after an acquisition and fundraising. Dr Jones joined the company shortly after its flotation and spin-out from the University of Leeds in 2006.

The company recently said revenues more than doubled to £344,000 in the six months to the end of January.

Pre-tax losses of £434,000 were down from a £557,000 deficit a year earlier.