STOCKHOLM, SE / ACCESS Newswire / July 6, 2026 / Vicore Pharma Holding (STO:VICO) - Dr. Slack brings over 20 years' experience in fibrosis and respiratory translational science and joins from GSK, where he served as Vice President and Head of Respiratory Biology
Stockholm, Sweden & Cambridge, Mass., July 6, 2026 - Vicore Pharma Holding AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: VICO, Nasdaq US: VCRE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of a novel class of drugs, angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonists, today announced the appointment of Rob Slack, PhD, FRSB, as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Slack succeeds Johan Raud, MD, PhD, who, after a long and distinguished career in drug discovery and a defining contribution to Vicore's science, will transition to Senior Advisor, supporting the company through key upcoming milestones.
Dr. Slack brings more than 20 years of drug discovery leadership across biotech and large pharma. He joins Vicore from GSK, where he served as Vice President and Head of Respiratory Biology, and was previously acting Chief Scientific Officer at Galecto. Over his career he has helped deliver multiple approved respiratory medicines, including vilanterol (Breo®, Trelegy®) and umeclidinium (Anoro®, Trelegy®) for asthma and COPD, and led the discovery of the inhaled αvβ6 inhibitor GSK3008348 for IPF. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology with more than 60 publications, he holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde. As Chief Scientific Officer, he will lead Vicore's research strategy and the continued development of the company's next-generation AT2 receptor agonist pipeline.
"Rob is an outstanding scientific leader whose deep expertise in respiratory biology, drug discovery, and translational science will be instrumental as we advance buloxibutid and expand our pipeline. His appointment strengthens our early-stage pipeline efforts and research foundation at a pivotal moment for the company," said Ahmed Mousa, CEO of Vicore Pharma. "I also want to thank Johan for his extraordinary contributions as Chief Scientific Officer. Vicore's science is built on the foundation he helped create, and we are fortunate that he will continue to lend his insight and guidance as Senior Advisor."
"The angiotensin II type 2 receptor is one of the most exciting and differentiated mechanisms I have come across in respiratory and fibrotic disease," said Rob Slack, PhD, FRSB, Chief Scientific Officer of Vicore Pharma. "Most current approaches in IPF focus on slowing disease progression. What attracted me to Vicore is the potential of AT2 receptor agonism to address the underlying biology that drives disease, creating the opportunity for true disease modification. Equally compelling is the breadth of the mechanism, with potential applications across a wide range of respiratory and fibrotic diseases beyond IPF. I am excited to lead the science behind buloxibutid and our next-generation pipeline as we work to bring transformative new therapies to patients."