Dr Richard Weaver Appointed to Forge Genetics Board of Directors

Forge Genetics is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Richard Weaver to its Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. As a specialised CRO, Forge leverages its novel "Forge Editing" method to advance bacterial strain development. Richard has founded and exited a successful CRO and shares Forge’s ethos for being a reliable R&D partner for clients.

A Proven Track Record in Life Sciences Entrepreneurship

Richard brings immense strategic insight, energy, and an entrepreneurial approach to bolster Forge’s growth. Possessing over 28 years of experience, he originally gained a first-class honours degree in chemistry followed by a medicinal chemistry PhD. Spotting a gap and opportunity in the market, Richard founded the CRO XenoGesis in 2011. His clear scientific rationale and business direction were the driver behind XenoGesis successfully becoming the UK’s largest independent DMPK provider. Having grown the company organically to build a team of over 40 skilled scientists, Richard successfully led the sale of XenoGesis to Sygnature Discovery in September 2020.

An Aligned Ethos: The Trusted Scientific Partner

Forge Genetics operates on the core principle that a successful CRO must be driven by rigorous science and deep collaboration, that was something Richard highlighted as being key to his success with Xenogesis.

"Communication, being a true team member, and acting as a trusted scientific partner was arguably the most important aspect of the company we built at XenoGesis," said Richard Weaver. "You want clients to feel they can pick up the phone, have a detailed scientific conversation, and trust you genuinely. That is the difference, and I think that is exactly what the team at Forge Genetics are doing". 

Forge’s potential

Richard founded Drug Discovery Solutions in March 2023. He was keen to dedicate his time to support businesses by drawing on his own successful executive experience. He now brings that passion and technical excellence to the Forge Genetics board.

"I am passionate about the UK biotech space, and what Forge Genetics is doing has the potential to be truly, globally transformational. The technology here has so many applications, and I am looking forward to working alongside the team to help maximise and leverage that potential for the future," noted Richard Weaver, Non-Executive Director at Forge Genetics.