Christian brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the life sciences and biopharmaceutical industries to Orikine. His career includes senior leadership roles in product management, business development and corporate strategy. Christian began his career at Bayer and Pfizer, then led the PEGylation business at Nektar Therapeutics, managing a portfolio valued at over $2.5 billion. As Chief Business Officer at Activaero, he was instrumental in orchestrating its €130 million sale to Vectura in 2014. He later served as Executive Vice President of Business Development and Project Management at SkyePharma, contributing to its £500 million acquisition in 2016. Christian was then CEO of Sterna Biologicals, securing €22 million for a Phase 2 clinical development program, and served as a Managing Director at Secarna Pharmaceuticals, closing several platform collaborations. Prior to joining Orikine, he was the CEO of Atriva Therapeutics. He holds a Master’s in International Business from Webster University Vienna and completed post-graduate and executive course work at INSEAD, UC Berkeley, and Stanford.

Christian Pangratz

Larry Edwards is an executive officer with a successful track record of M&A, financing, building, growing, and leading companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Larry is currently CEO of AiCuris, a role he has held since 2023, and brings more than 20 years of hands-on experience in financing, commercial operations, corporate development, investor relations, marketing, sales, team building, and business development. Before joining AiCuris, Larry served as CEO of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (NASDAQ: LJPC), where his strategic leadership drove the company to profitability and ultimately led to its acquisition by Innoviva for a significant premium. Previously, he was CEO of Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TTPH), where he led the U.S. and global launch of XERAVA® and guided the company’s acquisition by La Jolla. Earlier in his career, Larry led global commercialization strategies for the launch of ZERBAXA® at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, prior to its acquisition by Merck. He further held multiple U.S. and global commercial leadership roles at Merck. In addition to Orikine Bio, Mr. Edwards currently serves on the Board of Directors of Clarametyx Biosciences and Utility Therapeutics.

Larry Edwards

Ariadna brings 7+ years of experience in synthetic biology and biologics design. She holds a PhD in Biomedicine from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), has authored five peer-reviewed publications, and co-invented two patents. Her recognitions include the CERCA Pioneer Award for her doctoral thesis and the Academy for Women’s Entrepreneurs fellowship (U.S. Consulate) in 2021, as well as being selected for the CERCA Lindau Nobel Selection (2020) and a TEDx official speaker (2024). She also holds an Executive MBA from ESADE, majoring in innovative technologies.

Ariadna Montero

Joachim brings more than 25 years of experience in life sciences, spanning immunology, cellular therapy, and antibody-based therapies across academia and biotech. He combines scientific excellence with strategic leadership, offering a unique perspective across research, development, and business. Joachim is an Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry at Goethe-University Frankfurt and has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications. Prior to joining Orikine, he served as Vice President and Head of Discovery Research & Translational Immunology at Affimed, where he defined scientific strategy, led preclinical and translational programs supporting multiple INDs, and was instrumental in establishing strategic partnerships with Genentech and Roivant. Most recently, Joachim advised biopharma companies on R&D strategy and IND-enabling development, including serving in fractional CDO and Scientific Advisory Board roles.

Prof. Joachim Koch

Alejo has shaped the direction of the company by conceptualizing its pipeline, leading the development process, and securing a €5.5 million seed round from international investors. With over six years of experience in business development, corporate management, and strategic investments, Alejo focuses on transforming scientific innovations into successful business ventures within the life sciences sector. Currently, Alejo is also an Operating Partner at AdBio Partners, where he supports early-stage investments and company-building activities. Prior to this role, he was part of the BD&L team at BIAL Pharmaceuticals, where he played a key role in the $130 million acquisition of Lysosomal Therapeutics and the establishment of Bial Biotech Investments in Cambridge. Alejo holds a PhD in Immunology and spent over a decade in translational immunology research before transitioning to the business side. He has co-authored more than 35 publications in top-tier journals (citations 4857; h-index 30), filed several patents, and received several prestigious fellowships. His post-doctoral research was conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and his tenure at Rockefeller University included a role in the technology transfer office.

Alejo Chorny

Pilar Casado joined Orikine Bio as Chief Financial Officer in 2024, bringing over 20 years of extensive expertise in financial leadership across a range of industries, with a particular focus on biotechnology and health-tech. She has an impressive track record in guiding venture-backed companies from early-stage funding through to Series A and B, driving international expansion. With a strong background in fundraising, M&A, and strategic financial management, Pilar has been a trusted advisor to CEOs, founders, and investors. Her experience spans both public and private sectors, where she has played key roles in securing capital, developing growth strategies, and leading financial operations for companies in biotech, diagnostics, and SaaS industries. Pilar’s deep understanding of the biotech landscape, combined with her strategic vision, makes her a critical asset to Orikine as the company continues its mission to develop breakthrough cytokine therapies for immune-mediated diseases.

Pilar Casado

Clément is Partner at Adbio partners. He brought AdBio his expertise in financial negotiations, his knowledge of the public sector, and his operational skills in addition to his academic background in molecular biology. Previously, he was Operating Partner for AdBio, he was involved in the initial development of Thabor Therapeutics (IBD) before co-founding and being CEO of Calida Therapeutics in the field of thrombo-inflammation, based on a US technology re-located to France. Before joining AdBio Partners, Clément was deputy governmental delegate for business restructuring, leading a team of 50 people and directly reporting to the Ministers in charge of Economy and Finance, Industry, and Labor. His actions contributed to maintaining the jobs of more than 20k people in highly sensitive flagship cases; He also held several positions at the French Treasury, BNP Paribas, CIB New York and GDF Suez. Clément had a background in biology with several internships in epigenetics at the Institut Curie and Cancer Research UK. He is engineer in chief of the French Corps des Mines.

Clément Bertholet

Partner at Asabys, Sylvain joined Asabys at its inception in 2018. At Asabys, Sylvain invests in the biopharma and medtech industries. He currently serves on the board of directors of Anaconda Biomed, Orikine Bio and Gradient Denervation Technologies and is an observer on the boards of SpliceBio and Medlumics. Prior to Asabys, Sylvain was an associate at Ysios Capital, a VC firm based in Barcelona and investing in biopharmaceuticals. With an academic background in molecular biology and gene therapy, Sylvain previously worked in research laboratories in France and the US, where his work focused on RNA editing and lysosomal storage disorders.

Sylvain Sachot

Professor Edgardo Ferran is a renowned researcher with a deep background in bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems pharmacology. His career spans over multiple decades, during which he has held influential positions both in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. He earned his Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires in 1989 and has been heavily involved in the fields of systems biology and drug discovery. Professor Ferran has worked as a visiting scientist and collaborator at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and has served as a key scientific contributor at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona. Throughout his career, he has contributed significantly to bioinformatics, applying machine learning and computational models to drug discovery, particularly in understanding complex biological systems. His expertise in quantitative systems pharmacology has made him a sought-after speaker and workshop organizer at international conferences. Edgardo Ferran has been instrumental in shaping the intersection of academic research and the pharmaceutical industry, bridging the gap between computational science and practical drug development, and contributing to cutting-edge biopharmaceutical strategies.

Edgardo Ferran

Luis is a world leader in Systems and Synthetic Biology, and director of the CRG since 2011. Previously, he was group leader and head of the structural and computational program at the EMBL. He is the scientific co-founder of seven companies (En Vivo Pharmaceuticals, Triskel, Diverdrugs, Cellzome acquired in 2012 by GSK for US $99M, Pulmobiotics). He has published more than 400 articles in addition to being the inventor of more than 20 patents. He has also coordinated 4 large EU projects, and has been the recipient of 3 advanced ERC grants and 3 ERC PoC.

Prof. Luis Serrano

Javier serves as a consultant for Orikine. He was awarded a PhD in Organic Chemistry by the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in 2005. Prior to his doctoral studies, he gained experience as a Software Analyst, working in the Software Development Cycle (SDC) at Banco de Santander and Telefonica I+D. Following his PhD, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at VIB from 2008 to 2010, where he expanded his expertise in the field of Structural Biology through the development of custom-made computational tools. Currently, he holds the position of Senior Bioinformatician at Luis Serrano's Lab at CRG in Barcelona, where he specializes in in-silico engineering of interleukins with improved stability, specificity, and affinity. His work relies on the expert utilization of advanced computational tools such as FoldX and ModelX. Additionally, Javier Delgado is one of the individuals responsible for the development of FoldX/ModelX, groundbreaking technologies that enable protein design using the FoldX force field.

Management

Board of Directors

Founders