Levicept appoints Darlene Deptula-Hicks as CFO

UK biotech Levicept, which is focused on the development of LEVI-04, a first-in-class treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), today announced the appointment of Darlene Deptula-Hicks as chief financial officer (CFO).

Ms Deptula-Hicks has a wealth of international experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, a longstanding track record of raising capital in both private and public equity markets, and of strategic M&A. She is a board member and audit committee chair at Aldeyra Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ALDX) and board member of Lytix Biopharma (Euronext Growth: LYTIX) (Oslo, Norway). Her executive positions have included acting CFO at Normunity (Boston, US) and acting CFO at Greywolf Therapeutics. From 2019 to 2023, she was CFO of F-star Therapeutics where, alongside then F-star chief executive, Eliot Forster, she led a successful PIPE financing and Nasdaq listing, $85 million follow-on public offering and all-cash sale of the company in 2023.