By SIMON COLLINS
The founder of the brain research company Neuronz, Peter Gluckman, has resigned from the board after an allegation of conflicts of interest.
Dr Gluckman remains chief scientific officer of Neuronz, director of the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland and chairman of the scientific advisory board of
Endocrinz, another medical research company launched last week.
He was dean of the Auckland University Medical School from 1992 until last year.
Neuronz and Endocrinz have contracts with the Liggins Institute to do most of their research.
Dr Gluckman said at the Endocrinz launch that he had not taken a seat on the Endocrinz board because of the need to avoid conflicts of interest. His resignation from the Neuronz board, dated March 31, was posted on the Companies Office website on Tuesday.
Neuronz chairman Dr Robin Congreve said Dr Gluckman's resignation was "a technicality".
"Peter will still be the scientific driving force of Neuronz and will be attending board meetings as the scientific advisory officer." Dr Congreve said the Liggins Institute was Neuronz's "preferred supplier" of research, but the people who negotiated contracts were "at arm's length".
A former head of ANZ Securities who is now a biotechnology consultant, Dr William Randall, said in January that Dr Gluckman had a conflict of interest "to the extent that the Liggins Institute has contracts with Neuronz".
"If you want to become a global or international player, it's inappropriate to have overt conflicts of interests in the structure of your company."
Neuronz and a former employee, Lloyd Tran, are involved in a High Court action which cannot be reported because of a court order.
