Ziphius Vaccines (the “Company” or “Ziphius”), a self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) company developing transformative vaccines for existing and emerging infectious diseases and protein enhancement therapy, today announced the appointment of two senior leadership profiles.
Mr. Olivier Lemaire joins the Company as General Counsel and Compliance Officer. Olivier brings over 20 years of experience in pharmaceuticals, biotech, regulatory and intellectual property law, most recently at GSK Vaccines.
Ms. Leonie wyffels will join Ziphius as R&D Director. Leonie joins the Company from Ablynx, a Sanofi Company, where she was responsible for the GMP QC of Cablivi and early stage nanobody projects.
Chris Cardon, CEO of Ziphius Vaccines, commenting on today’s announcement, stated: “We are excited to welcome both Olivier and Leonie to our growing team. Olivier’s extensive experience in intellectual property law and Leonie’s background in GMP QC is be a key addition to the team as we move towards the clinic as the game changer in vaccination.”
Mr. Lemaire is a specialized lawyer in intellectual property and pharmaceutical regulatory law with extensive experience in house and as outside counsel. Most recently Mr. Lemaire was GCC Cluster Legal Director at GSK Vaccines’ global headquarters in Wavre, Belgium, Italy andDubai where he provided legal support to R&D, Business Development, Strategic Alliances, Regulatory, Commercial, Public Policy and Government Affairs for over 15 years. During his career, he sat in various diverse and international leadership teams and has strong track records in negotiating complex licensing deals, R&D collaborations and commercial contracts with supranational organizations and national procurement agencies. Previously Mr. Lemaire worked for Allen&Overy, NautaDutilh, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Olivier has also been a lecturer in pharmaceutical intellectual property law at the University of Liège, Belgium.
Ms. wyffels obtained her degree of Pharmacist and PhD in Radiopharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Ghent after which she joined the University of Arizona (Tucson, UZA) for a post-doctoral study on the development of radiopharmaceuticals for imaging of cardiac apoptosis and inflammation. She further expanded her knowledge in radiopharmaceutical development and clinical translation at the Antwerp University Hospital and the University of Antwerp where she was appointed Assistant Professor and currently is still affiliated with the University of Antwerp Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences - Department of Nuclear Medicine as Visiting Professor. Most recently, Ms. wyffels worked in the GMP QC Lab of Ablynx, a Sanofi company, where she acted as QC project manager for Cablivi and early stage nanobody projects. During her career, Leonie has gained extensive experience with working in an international, multi-disciplinary and GMP environment, ‘bench to bedside’ (radio)pharmaceutical development, quality control and project management.
Separately the Company announced the resignation of Kristof Vercruysse, the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer (‘CSO’).
“On behalf of the Company I would like to thank Kristof for his service on the team. He has been a valuable asset to the Company and his expertise has greatly contributed to the development of the Company. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors”, said Chris Cardon, CEO of Ziphius Vaccines.
Ziphius Vaccines is developing a proprietary, next generation, saRNA platform. Due to its plug and- play features - RNA is able to code for any proteins of interest - this platform provides the ideal technology to develop vaccines against rapidly emerging pathogens. With this technology, Ziphius aims to develop best-in-class vaccines.
About Ziphius Vaccines
Ziphius Vaccines NV is a self-amplifying RNA company developing transformative vaccines for infectious diseases and protein enhancement therapy, in order to create a new generation of medicines. The Company has a portfolio of next generation vaccine candidates targeting a wide range of infectious diseases.
Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Ziphius Vaccines currently has strategic partnerships with experienced executives in the pharmaceutical industry that bring over 100 years of combined expertise in drug development.