Biotron has announced that Glenn Gilbert, the former chief executive and managing director of Rhythm Biosciences, will join as chief executive and executive director on 18 January 2027.
Mr Gilbert has spent more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical, medical device and in-vitro diagnostics sectors, and has worked in Australia, the UK, Europe, Asia and the Americas. He now runs Inspiring Holdings, an unlisted public company developing a medical device that improves the delivery of inhaled therapies.
At Medical Developments International, Mr Gilbert worked on the clinical development of Penthrox, the company's methoxyflurane-based analgesic, and led its international commercialisation and licensing. Before that, he held manufacturing and quality roles at CSL and Seqirus.
Biotron chairman Paul Kasian said the experience fits the company's next phase. "Biotron is entering an important phase in which disciplined clinical development, regulatory execution, capital management and commercialisation will be critical to unlocking the value of the Company's intellectual property," he said.
"His previous involvement in the clinical development and international commercialisation of Penthrox is particularly relevant as Biotron assesses the development and commercialisation pathway for SedRx and its antiviral programs."
At Rhythm, which is developing a blood test for early detection of colorectal cancer, Mr Gilbert led a multi-site clinical trial. He also oversaw regulatory and ISO 13485 quality certification, manufacturing scale-up and capital raising.
Mr Gilbert called SedRx "a potentially significant opportunity" and described it as "a safer, next-generation general anaesthetic". He said his first job would be to take stock of what the company already has.
"My near-term priorities will be to understand the work completed to date, establish a clear development plan and capital allocation priorities across the portfolio, progress the most important clinical and regulatory pathways and ensure the Company is focused on the milestones that will create the greatest long-term value for shareholders," he said.
He said he wanted "to build a focused, disciplined and commercially oriented company."
