BioEurope Spring 2023
Our Director of Business Development, Dave Mead recently attended BioEurope in Basel, meeting with colleagues old and new to discuss potential new partnerships and learn from peers in the biotech space.
Marion is an expert in VHH discovery and development. After graduating from her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, Marion moved into the VHH antibody field, taking molecules from candidate selection to Phase II clinical trials for the topical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. In a small company environment, she gained experience of end-to-end biologics development including manufacturing, formulation, and in vivo preclinical and clinical studies.
Since joining Isogenica in 2019, Marion has been working predominantly in designing bespoke discovery programs for our partners, as well as bringing her VHH drug development expertise to Isogenica’s growing multi-specifics pipeline focused in oncology. In 2022 she won a place on the Royal Academy of Engineering Shott Scale Up Accelerator platform to further support Isogenica’s growth, delivery to partners, and commercial development.
Bill has extensive experience in the biotechnology and pharma industry. He has over twenty years’ experience in antibody, scaffold protein and peptide discovery and development. Bill started his career with a post-doc at Pfizer and moving on to be an early member at Cambridge Antibody Technology (now Astra Zeneca) where he was a senior scientist in their antibody discovery arm. Having spent four years at CAT, he joined Isogenica where he co-invented and developed the company’s CIS Display Technology. He then went on to build and lead the Alliances team at Isogenica. Most recently he was CSO at Cyclogenix, a biotech company developing Cysteine knot micro-proteins (Cyclotides) for Oncology, Blood Brain Barrier and Oral Delivery of biotherapeutics.
Renny has a strong track history in the development and clinical investigation of new therapeutic assets. As well as being a non-executive director of several life sciences companies, he has been senior independent director of one of the top performing NHS Foundation Trusts in England, a member of the clinical research panel for the UK’s Research Excellence Framework and is also chairman of Lord Snowdon’s Award Scheme for disabled students. He has raised over £50 million for clinical development programmes and was previously owner and CEO of a venture capital backed Clinical Research Organisation and a privately backed specialist Phase I CRO. Prior to that he was Director at University College London as well as Director of Clinical Research at the UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. He was until recently CEO of two of the 15 Academic Health Sciences Networks (AHSN), firstly founding the South West AHSN working across Devon Somerset and Cornwall and then the Eastern AHSN based in Cambridge. Renny has a DPhil. in peptide and hormone small molecule metabolism and membrane biochemistry.
David has more than twenty years’ in Life Sciences developing complex bioprocesses and products and held a number of senior positions in R&D, GMP manufacturing, intellectual property and licensing. His experience includes both in and out licensing of technologies, products and services and has driven numerous licenses and collaboration deals. Dave has worked in several small Biotech and large Pharma companies.
David is also a Board member of MediLink; a Life Science industry association whose aim is to help companies establish, develop and grow. He also sits on the Advisory Board of BioPartner UK, an organisation that promotes international partnering for trade, investment and collaborations with UK life science companies.
David was previously Business Development Director at Albumedix where he was instrumental in signing significant royalty-bearing drug and vaccine development deals based on the company’s albumin-based formulation and half-life extension technologies. He is passionate about commercialising science and strategic partnerships with the goal of improving the quality of patient treatments.
Niclas has been in the investment business since 1992, through Vasastaden Holding AB and Kungsstaden Fastighet AB and positions at the broker firm Consensus as well as the financial services company Capinova. He is a former board member of listed entities Clavister Holding AB, Eolus Vind AB (2013 – 2016), Agrokultura AB, Net Entertainment AB (2008-2012) and Auriant Mining (2011-2012). He holds a MSc in Economics from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and represents one of Isogenica’s major shareholders.
Bjӧrn Cochlovius joined Isogenica as chairman in December 2019. He most recently served as Senior Director of Development (Strategy) at Abbvie and brings 20 years of biopharmaceutical discovery, clinical development and commercial experience to the Board. Dr Cochlovius previously held positions in research and development, business development and mergers and acquisitions at companies including Affitech AS, Roche and Otsuka. Dr Cochlovius started his career developing diabodies and tandem diabodies: fully human recombinant bispecific antibodies. He became the youngest department head at the German Cancer Research Centre (dkfz), after a PhD in immunology and oncology obtained at the Universität des Saarlandes.