Mr. Houghton was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avotres Inc. in August 2021. He has extensive US and international experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries with C-level and senior leadership positions directing sales, marketing, product development, finance, and business development across several therapeutic areas.

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John joined Avotres from AstraZeneca where he was Global Franchise Head, Roxadustat.  He was accountable for the delivery of the asset strategy and the strategic leadership of the cross-functional Global Franchise Team, the aim of which was to ensure the successful global development and commercialization of the molecule.

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Prior to AstraZeneca, John held CEO positions with two biotechnology companies in New Jersey and led the successful completion of an initial public offering (IPO) with one of these companies.

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John received his B.Sc (Hons) from Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom.