Venturing down unexplored paths

Chief Executive Officer

About:
Dr Erik Manting (born 1971, Dutch) has worked for a number of years as a post-doctoral researcher in the field of immunology before making a career switch to banking in 2001. He has more than 15 years of experience in different commercial and management roles in banking, including five years as Executive Director Corporate Finance at Kempen & Co. He acted as CEO of DCPrime BV since March 2018 and was appointed as CEO of Immunicum AB in March 2021, following the merger between both companies in December 2020. The combined company was renamed Mendus in June 2022. Erik holds a MSc in Medical Biology and a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Groningen.

Ongoing engagements:
Supervisory board member (Chairman) Synerkine Pharma BV and Independent Director Transcode Therapeutics Inc.

Shares:
277,695

Stock options:
662,666  (LTI 2023/2027)

Chief Scientific Officer

About:
Dr Alex Karlsson-Parra (MD) (born 1950, Swedish) was trained as physician in clinical immunology at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of transplantation immunology. In addition to his position as Co-Founder and CSO at Mendus, he has also served as Associate Professor in Clinical Immunology at Uppsala University Hospital, with special expertise in transplantation immunology and cancer immunotherapy and is former chairman of the Swedish Expert Group for Clinical Immunology. In 2014, Alex was awarded the Athena Prize, the most prestigious award for clinical research in the Swedish healthcare community. Prior to his current positions, he served as Associate Professor and Senior Physician at the Department of Clinical Immunology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden and Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. Alex has been founder and CSO of Immunicum since 2002 and remained CSO after the merger with DCPrime in December 2020, to form Mendus. Alex holds a MD degree and PhD in Experimental and Clinical Immunology from Uppsala University, Sweden.

Ongoing engagements:
–

Shares: 39,124 (private and through related persons’ holdings)

Stock options: 189,333  (LTI 2023/2027)

Chief Medical Officer

About:
Dr Jeroen Rovers (MD) (born 1970, Dutch) was trained as a pharmaceutical physician at the European Center of Pharmaceutical Medicine in Basel. In the past 20 years he worked in different academic institutes and companies, such as Wyeth and Organon and Kiadis Pharma, where he held the role as Chief Medical Officer. He has mainly worked on the development of products related to oncology, haematology and transplantation. Jeroen has acted as CMO of DCPrime BV since October 2018 and was appointed as CMO of Immunicum AB in March 2021, following the merger between both companies to form Mendus. Jeroen holds a MD degree and a PhD in Surgical Oncology from Leiden University.

Ongoing engagements:
–

Shares:  107,526

Stock options:  331,333 (LTI 2023/2027)

 

Chief Financial Officer

About:
Lotta Ferm (born 1966, Swedish) has nearly 30 years of finance and controlling experience from a range of corporations including most recently Doktor24 Healthcare AB and Medivir AB in the healthcare and life science sectors. She has held CFO, Head of Finance and Head of Controlling positions consistently over the last decade and led the corporate finance and accounting functions for multiple transitions for dynamic and innovative companies. Lotta joined Mendus as CFO in October 2021. Lotta holds a degree in Business Administration and Economics from Högskolan Kristianstad and Växjö University.

Ongoing engagements:
–

Shares:  135,000 (private and through related persons’ holdings)

Stock options:  331,333 (LTI 2023/2027)

Chief Technology Officer

About:
Dr Leopold Bertea (born 1964, French & Swiss) joined Mendus in May 2022. Before Mendus, he worked at Cellectis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company using a proprietary gene-editing platform to develop cell and gene therapies, where he most recently held the position of Senior Vice President Technical Operations Europe and was Member of the Executive Committee. With previous senior roles at Novartis, LFB Biotechnologies, and LFB’s subsidiary CELLforCURE, Sanofi, and Ciba-Geigy, Leopold brings a total of 30 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience to Mendus. Leopold holds a MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering from ETH Zürich.

Ongoing engagements:  –

Shares: 60,269

Stock options: 331,333 (LTI 2023/2027)

 

Chairman since 2024
Board Member since 2020

About:
Sven Andreasson (born 1952, Swedish) has broad experience in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He was CEO of Active Biotech AB 1999-2008, Beta-Cell NV in Belgium 2008-2012 and Isconova AB 2012-2013 where he initiated and completed a sale of the company in 2013 to the American company Novavax. He was appointed as Senior VP Corporate Development and subsequently as Senior Advisor Business & Corporate Development at Novavax, until May 2024. Sven has also held several senior management positions within Pharmacia in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and France. Previous experience from board assignments includes TiGenix NV, Belgium, Cantargia AB and Chairman of Erytech SA, France. Sven holds a MSc in Engineering from the Stockholm School of Economics and participated in MBA programs from IMEDE Lausanne, INSEAD Fontainebleau and Ashridge London.

Ongoing engagements: Board member of Cellastra Inc USA

Independency:Sven Andreasson is independent in relation to the company, its senior executives and major shareholders.

Shares: 0

Board Member since 2021

About:
Dr Hans Preusting (born 1962, Dutch) has previously served as the Chief Business Officer and interim Chief Operating Officer of uniQure. Prior to that he was the VP of Process Development and Manufacturing at AMT, the predecessor of uniQure. Hans is currently CEO of Synerkine Pharma and he also works as an independent consultant for several biotech companies and is co-founder of two biotech start-up companies. He holds two patents and has published over 20 scientific articles. His expertise is focused on business development, product development and manufacturing. Hans holds an MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Groningen and an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management.

Ongoing engagements:
CEO of Synerkine Pharma BV and CDO of DegenRx BV

Independency: Hans Preusting is independent in relation to the company, its senior executives, and major shareholders.

Shares: 8,333

Board Member since 2021

About:
Dharminder Chahal (born 1976, Dutch) is an experienced person in the global life science industry, renowned for his expertise in founding, financing, and guiding successful ventures. As the managing director of Sairopa, owner and managing director of Exponential B.V., and CEO and co-founder of SkylineDx, he plays pivotal roles in shaping the trajectory of various companies.

Chahal’s extensive network and track record of success are evident through his involvement in significant transactions, such as the sale of Crucell, deVGen, and Ablynx. He also oversees major investments in companies like Galapagos, Zealand Pharma, and BioInvent.

In addition to his executive roles, Chahal serves as a board member or advisor for numerous European companies and funds in the life sciences sector. His background in investment banking and asset management, along with his academic credentials in Business Economics and Aerospace Engineering, further underscore his multidisciplinary expertise.

Through his strategic leadership and extensive experience, Dharminder Chahal continues to make significant contributions to the advancement of the life science industry globally.

Dharminder holds a MSc in Business Administration from Erasmus University Rotterdam and MSc (cum laude) in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology.

Ongoing engagements: 
CEO of SkylineDx BV, Board member of BioInvent AB, Ceradis BV, Medis Medical Imaging BV, Medis Holding BV, Sensara Group BV and Vitalnext Products BV as well as advisory board member of BioGeneration Ventures II, Thuja Capital Fund I and Gilde Healthcare Funds II and III.

Independency: Dharminder Chahal is independent in relation to the company and its senior executives, and dependent in relation to the major shareholders.

Shares: 264,615

Board Member since 2020

About:
Dr Helén Tuvesson (born 1962, Swedish) has more than 25 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry in various positions within Pharmacia and Active Biotech, including as Chief Scientific Officer at Active Biotech for 6 years. In this role she was responsible for the operational research activities and the company’s project portfolio in late-stage clinical development in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer indications. Helén is currently the CEO of Active Biotech AB, which role she has had since 2017. Helén holds a MSc and PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology in Medical Science from Lund University.

Ongoing engagements:
CEO of Active Biotech AB and chairman of the board of Active Security Trading AB and Actinova AB.

Independency:
Helén Tuvesson is independent in relation to the company, its senior executives and major shareholders.

Shares: 3,200

Board Member since 2023

About:
Dr Ted Fjällman (born 1978, Swedish, Swiss & British) has a background in clinical research, strategy consulting and biotech company building. He has served as committee member of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and on the Management Board of the International Bacterial Vaccines Network (BactiVac). He also co-founded Tekiu, an international knowledge transfer broker. Since 2023 he is CEO of Flerie, an investment company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm since 2024 with biotech investments across Europe, the US and Israel. Prior to his CEO role he was Partner and Venture Partner at Flerie as well as the CEO of one of its portfolio companies Prokarium in London. He is board member of several drug development companies and was the first CEO of NorthX Biologics after Flerie acquired a manufacturing facility from Charles River to set up this CDMO. Ted holds a BSc in Biology, Physics, Science & Technology Management from the University of Waikato, a MSc from the University of Gothenburg, and MSS from the International Space University, and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Guelph.

Ongoing engagements:
CEO of Flerie AB and board member of Geneos Therapeutics, Vitara Biomedical, Prokarium, Synerkine Pharma, Alder Therapeutics, Roseberry, St Andrews Folkestone and Tekiu.

Independency: Ted Fjällman is independent in relation to the Company and its senior executives, and dependent in relation to the major shareholder Flerie Invest AB.

Shares: 0

Chair of the SAB

Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Immunology at VU University, Amsterdam

Experience: Ada Kruisbeek, Ph.D. previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at DCprime, which she founded in 2005. She has worked at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, USA, and previously held the position of Head of the Department of Immunology at the NKI-AVL (Netherlands Cancer Institute and Antoni van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis Hospital) in Amsterdam. She is an Emeritus Professor of Immunology at VU University, Amsterdam where she also served as scientific director of the Life Sciences Center and the Technology Transfer Office of the VU.

Member of the SAB

M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Head of the Clinical Cancer Research Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen; Director, Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy (CCIT); consultant in Oncology, Herlev University Hospital

Experience: Inge Marie Svane, MD, PhD, joins Immunicum’s Scientific Advisory Board with 25 years of research experience in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. With her focus of expertise on T cell based adoptive cell therapy and other cellular therapies, cancer vaccines and immune regulation, she has greatly contributed to the field of cancer immunotherapy. Since 2001 she has initiated more than 20 Phase I and II immunotherapeutic trials as sponsor or principle investigator and has served as investigator and co-investigator on numerous international clinical trials in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, primarily within the area of cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Svane also led the establishment and currently serves as Director of the Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy (CCIT), Herlev University Hospital at the University of Copenhagen. Inge Marie has served as Chair of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Scientific Committee on Immunotherapy and is author/co-author of more than 170 scientific publications including papers in Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Research, Blood, Nature Immunology, Nature Biotechnology, Lancet Oncology, Immunology, Journal of Translational Medicine, PLOS ONE and Oncoimmunology, among others.

Member of the SAB

PhD, Professor Emeritus in Microbiology and Immunology at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Experience: Lewis Lanier has served as the chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the co-leader of the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at the UCSF’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI). He has published more than 400 scientific articles and is a Senior Editor of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, and has served as an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Immunology, Annual Review of Immunology, Immunological Reviews, Tissue Antigens, Human Immunology, Immunogenetics, and Immunity. In recognition of his scientific contributions, he was awarded the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Tumor Immunology from the Cancer Research Institute in New York in 2002, was given the Rose Payne Award for contributions to the field of Immunogenetics by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics in 2005, was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences, in 2010, and was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology by the American Society for Microbiology and elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011.

Member of the SAB

Ph.D., Professor in Experimental Cancer Immunology and Therapy, Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center; Senior Investigator, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands

Experience: Sjoerd van der Burg, PhD, is a Professor in Experimental Cancer Immunology and Therapy at the Department of Medical Oncology of the Leiden University Medical Center and Senior Investigator at the Oncode Institute in The Netherlands. His group performs fundamental, translational, and clinical studies focusing on factors of host-tumor interactions that determine the success and failure of immune system control of cancer. Dr van der Burg has extensive experience in monitoring innate and adaptive immune responses and exploits this to guide the development of cancer therapies. He has a PhD in immunology from Leiden University.

Member of the SAB

Ph.D., Professor, Translational Tumor Immunology and Fenna Diemer Lindeboom Chair, Amsterdam University Medical Center

Experience:Tanja de Gruijl, PhD, is a Professor of Translational Tumor Immunology and holds a Fenna Diemer Lindeboom Chair at the Amsterdam University Medical Center where she also heads the immunotherapy and immune monitoring lab. Her research ranges from preclinical studies to monitoring of Phase I-III clinical trials and includes topics such as the immune potentiation of tumor-draining lymph nodes and the tumor microenvironment, immunological arming of oncolytic adenoviruses, and nanobody-mediated targeting of Natural Killer T-cell subsets. Dr de Gruijl supervised the research that supported the foundation of DCprime. She has recently been elected to the board of directors of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). Dr de Gruijl holds a PhD in tumor immunology from the VU Amsterdam.