Oxford drug company sacks chief over ‘inappropriate’ relationships with workers

THE chief executive and founder of an Oxford-based drug company has been sacked over “inappropriate” relationships with colleagues.

Exscientia said it had “terminated the employment” of Prof Andrew Hopkins after finding he had “engaged in relationships with two employees that the board determined were inappropriate”. No further details were given.

David Nicholson, the chairman, also resigned on Monday after conducting a personal investigation into Prof Hopkins without telling the rest of the board. Exscientia said Mr Nicholson had “prior knowledge” of the alleged relationships. The board said it had hired independent lawyers to conduct an investigation into its founder’s behaviour, a process that culminated in Prof Hopkins’s sacking.

Shares in Exscientia, which is listed in New York, plunged by almost a fifth on the announcement.

The British biotechnology company is backed by Bill Gates and uses artificial intelligence to discover drugs. Prof Hopkins, 52, originally spun the business out of Dundee University in 2012. Its tools have been involved in clinical trials for potential cancer treatments.

As of August his wife, Iva Navratilova, was employed by Exscientia as vice-president of biophysics, having worked at the company since 2016, according to a US stock market filing.

Prof Hopkins took home total pay of $2.1m (£1.6m) in 2022, according to the company’s annual report.

The departure comes amid increased scrutiny of employee relationships amid a series of high-profile resignations and sackings. Last September, Bernard Looney, the boss of BP, resigned over a string of romantic affairs, admitting he had not been “fully transparent”.

Prof Hopkins and Mr Nicholson could not be reached for comment.

Exscientia was valued at $2.9bn when it floated in the US in 2021, but its shares have since slipped in value and yesterday it was worth about $766m.