Mentors

Areas of expertise: Clinical Drug Development, acceleration pathways with regulatory authorities (for instance fast track designation and orphan drug applications) and in general scientific advice and Health authority meetings globally. I have experience on multiple Marketing Authorization Applications and New Drug approvals (Europe and US) and accelerated approvals for commercialization.

Profile: >25 years in Drug development -from early-stage development (phase 1) to marketing authorisation in different therapeutic areas i.e. oncology, cardiovascular, hematology and dermatology.  

Regulatory: I have more than 25 years’ experience in regulatory affairs globally (EU, US, China and Japan) from early to late-stage clinical development to commercial access of new molecular and biological entities. I have worked with rare diseases and precision medicines in oncology and hematology. I have also worked with products in larger indications in the cardiovascular space, like diabetes, chronic kidney disease and immunotherapy.

During drug development: Health authorities are an important stakeholder in getting products to the market and patients. I have worked with different companies in gaining health authority feed-back on development plans from phase 1, end of phase 2 and pre-NDA.  There are multiple acceleration pathways for companies to access on different markets that give access to additional support from health authorities during development and that I have explored during my career. I have worked on NDAs and MAAs approvals.

The key products that I have worked on in my career that are now marketed are Insulin aspart (type I diabetes), traztuzumab (breast and gastric cancer), brodalumab (psoriasis) and andexxa (modified factor Xa inhibitor).

I enjoy working with innovative products and finding a path forward including health authorities, an important stakeholder in patient access. I enjoy working on improved medicines, for unmet medical needs and am curious to explore opportunities and bring new ideas forward.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Clinical development specialist with more than 30 years of experience from biotech and pharma.

Profile: My experience covers all phases of development within a wide range of therapeutic indications.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Clinical Operations and study design. How to plan, conduct and report a clinical study or a device investigation from an operational perspective. Project Management Professional, including project planning, risk management, stakeholder management, timelines, budgeting, and more.

Profile: I have operational experience in conducting studies from various positions in the industry since 2001, including two marketed products from phase 2 to launch. I have worked within CROs, big pharma affiliates, HQ, and biotech, giving me a broad experience in processes and shortcuts.

As a mentor, I bring skills within project management as well as expertise on how the next steps might look after completing the SPARK program, which is essential for a successful spin-out or funding.

Check his LinkedIn.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Drug discovery, therapeutics, neuroscience, metabolic disease, rare hematology, gene therapy, business development, open innovation

Profile: Daniel B. Timmermann holds an MSc in Pharmaceutical Science and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), including studies at the University of Chicago and the University of Washington (Seattle). He brings 22 years of professional experience in early drug discovery and project/portfolio management within multiple disease areas, ranging from neurology and psychiatry over diabetes and diabetic complications to rare blood and endocrine disorders, including gene therapy and genome editing.

Before joining Novo Nordisk in 2013, he worked in the biotech sector. During his tenure with Novo Nordisk, he held various management positions in the company's Global Drug Discovery and Business Development divisions. Since 2020, he has been responsible for accessing and advancing early external innovation partnerships through engagement programs targeting academic and life science entrepreneurship communities, primarily focusing on Europe and Asia. As SPARK mentor, Daniel can offer scientific advice and input on project strategy for start-ups working on therapeutics, as well as value proposition and business case development, to optimize attractiveness from a biotech investor and pharma perspective.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise:

• Life Science Sector-Specific Expertise
  • Deep knowledge of the life sciences and biotech sectors, including CNS,  cell therapy, oncology, and infectious diseases.
  • Hands-on experience with early-stage to post-phase III development projects.
  • Experience in IP management, venture creation, and commercialization of translational science.

• Strategic Business Development
  • Led business development and alliance management activities, resulting in significant licensing deals.
  • Negotiated acquisitions and engaged advisors for company valuation and acquisition support.
  • Directed scouting and venture management activities, evaluating numerous opportunities internationally.

• Team Building and Leadership
  • Built and managed successful teams across startups and corporate environments.
  • Recruited an international advisory board at Stimuliver ApS.

• Innovation Management
  • Shaped technology and investment processes, securing substantial funding for early-stage biotech.
  • Initiated and managed strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies in total over $200m in value.

• Board and Advisory Roles
  • Advisor and board member for several biotech companies, contributing to successful financing rounds and acquisitions.

Profile: Experienced in early-stage company formation, seed investment, and business development. Established several companies and partnerships in the drug discovery space. Currently, Director of Business Development at both Adaptvac, a Phase III VLP Vaccine Company, and Stimuliver, an early-stage cell therapy company. Previously, I have been involved in major partnering deals with the pharmaceutical industry and worked with key international investment groups.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Deep scientific expertise in cardiometabolic and oncology, drug discovery and development, evaluation of biotech and healthtech programs and technologies, engagement activities and programs to support entrepreneurs, start-ups and early biotech.

Profile: Itai comes with an educational background in cancer biology and data science/machine learning, with a Ph.D. degree from the Weizmann Institute (Israel), followed by postdoctoral studies at Stanford University (USA) as well as an MBA in technology entrepreneurship. In addition to holding various senior management positions in biotech, Itai also served as the founder and CEO of cell therapy biotech company and had various leadership positions at the national level where he developed and implemented multiple programs and initiatives for supporting and accelerating the life science ecosystem. Itai had a position as Director of Global External Innovation & Scientific Licensing at Ferring Pharmaceuticals and currently serves as Director, External Innovation Outreach at Novo Nordisk.

Check his LinkedIn.

Coming soon

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise:

• Innovation strategy and portfolio management
• Medical device and digital innovation
• AI implementation and value creation with AI
• Ecosystem innovation
• Corporate-startup partnerships and strategic alliances
• Environmental sustainability and decarbonization
• New business creation

Check his LinkedIn.

Coming soon.

Coming soon.

Areas of expertise: R&D. Technology development, technology evaluations & implementations, product discovery within Enzymes, Probiotics, and Microbiomics. Science-based Innovation. R&D leadership. Team development.

Profile: With 30 years of experience as a researcher and leader in the private sector of Biotechnology (Novo Nordisk & Novozymes), I have a long track record of product innovation and development of commercially valuable solutions. I feel at home when navigating the complex landscape of Biotech R&D and commercialization. My leadership skills are characterized by enthusiasm, clear communication, openness, and involvement; I use this for building effective teams and aligning them with the company's strategy and goals. I have strong analytical and strategic capabilities when I identify and pursue the most promising opportunities and navigate the challenges of product development and commercialization. I have strong experience in networking and cross-organizational collaborations. I have expertise in molecular biology, protein engineering, high-throughput screening, Microbiology, Microbiomics, and BioSolutions for health benefits in Human Health and Animal Health. I am driven to develop innovative technologies and products that can transform the biotech industry and create more sustainable living and a healthy planet. Overall, as a mentor, I bring a wealth of passion, knowledge, experience, and leadership skills that can help shape strategies to succeed in a highly competitive and dynamic world of Life Science based business.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Business development, investment/ funding, MedTech development, and commercialization.

Profile: A MedTech engineer and EBA with over 25 years of experience in business and commercial development of innovative devices and technology companies. MedTech investor with board experience from both EU and US companies and a network of life science investors.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Business development, licensing, market forecast, drug discovery, peptide chemistry, people management, and a bit of bioinformatics.

Profile: My experience working with Zealand pharma for 13 years with peptide drug discovery, finding partners for early clinical programs, and evaluating in-licensing opportunities have given me a good insight into what attractive drug discovery projects are. I have since then worked with Immunitrack with service business, cancer drug discovery, investigating the potential of AI solutions as diagnostics, and fundraising. I’m not an expert in any of these areas, but I have hands-on experience that might be useful. Further, I did my Ph.D. in bioinformatics and am thus familiar with many of the concepts and obstacles in that area.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Business development, innovation processes, go-to-market strategy, product innovation, food and agriculture, diagnostics and sensor technology.  

Profile: I have 15 years of leadership experience from Global Marketing, Global Product Management and R&D in an international b2b company, leading transformations and building new teams - especially in the fields of product portfolio strategy, product innovation and upstream marketing.

I have experience with development and marketing of diagnostic technology – including hardware, software, advanced data modelling and SaaS – used for quality control and process optimization in agricultural and food production.

As a mentor I can bring experience with business development, product strategy and go-to-market, as well as general leadership sparring – and a broad insight into agriculture and food production.

Areas of expertise:

• Medical device development, Mechanical, HW & SW
• Technology feasibility studies
• Project & Program Management

Profile: Mentoring project managers in stakeholder communication, feasibility analysis, and production introduction.

Check her LinkedIn.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Strong understanding of pharma and biotech industry, especially in early drug development and commercialization of assets. Biotech startup experience and strong funding experience. Organizational development, IP management, outsourcing and partnership experience.

Profile: With a PhD in medicinal chemistry and more than 25 years of experience in primarily early drug development I bring a lot of experience to the table. My focus will be to select the right experiments that can generate the right/best value for the project as fast as possible. Assist in organizational development, finding the right team with the right competences and assisting in a realistic development plan (including funding) with an exit-plan.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Deep knowledge of pharma and biotech industry, including all aspects of drug development, drug formulation and commercialization. Expert in structuring, valuating and negotiating all types of commercial deals, in particular license and collaboration agreements. Knowledge of NCE, generic, and OTC markets. Establishing and managing startup companies. Fund raising.

Profile:  Ole Wiborg has more than 25 years of executive experience in the pharma and biotech industry. He is the co-founder and CEO of Zerion Pharma, established in 2019 as a spinout from University of Copenhagen. He has prepared and negotiated numerous licensing and collaboration deals at all levels and is the co-founder of five companies in the life science/MedTech field. In 2016 he co-founded and led the MedTech company Cura Nordic until a successful exit in 2018 by way of an asset deal to Karo Pharma AB in Sweden. In 2002, he founded the consultancy firm Wiborg APS which for almost 20 years provided high-level scientific and commercial advice to almost 100 clients on 3 continents. Ole has held key management positions as CBO in Larix A/S (DK), Enzymatica AB (SWE), and Prophylix Pharma AS (NO). He worked with TopoTarget A/S as COO and has held various management positions in Nycomed Pharma A/S (now Takeda). Ole holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University (DK) and a B.Econ. in International Trade from Copenhagen Business School (DK).

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: HealthTech expert, Clinical Implementation. Global Launch of Diagnostic products.

Precision Medicine, Product development, Business Development.

Profile: I am a seasoned business leader with a passion for driving innovation and creating benefits for patients. With over 20 years of experience in Diagnostics/Pharma.

My expertise spans across the Diagnostic-Clinical implementation space, business development, strategic planning, innovation management and Precision Medicine.

I’m particularly passionate about improving our approach to Healthcare, ensuring the right treatment to the right patient at the right time and I’m always eager to connect with like-minded professionals to exchange ideas and explore new opportunities.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Pharmaceutical development, Outsourcing, manufacturing, CMC, Regulatory, Financing, and Organizational Development.

Profile: More than 20 years in the industry of pharmaceutical and organizational development from very early to clinical stages. Specific knowledge of drug development within solid oral dosage forms, injectables, and inhalation products in both small molecules and biologics. For the mentor part, the main value addition would be aiding the project to focus on value addition and preparation for later stages to limit technical debt and enable conversations with institutional investors.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: R&D, drug discovery & development, venture building, immunotherapy, RNA therapeutics

Profile: Extensive leadership experience in R&D and corporate development from top tier international Biotech and Pharmaceutical companies (Pharmacia, LEO Pharma, Micromet, ALK-Abello, Stallergenes Greer) across multiple indications within immuno-oncology, inflammation, neurology and immune disorders. More than 25 years’ experience and passion for translating ground-breaking innovation into therapeutics and new product developments, strategic co-operations and creation of new ventures and start-ups including Allero Therapeutics, Cenexum Technologies and RORA Biologics.

Holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Copenhagen University and is Honorary Professor in Biomedicine at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Chech his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: IP strategy, cutting-edge technology development, technical and commercial business development and networking, and funding access. Mentoring, mentoring women. Biotech specialist, materials science, biointerfaces, and sensors (biomedical, space).

Profile: I am a British/Canadian scientist and engineer (materials with sensors and biointerface specialty) with 30 years of international experience translating research from the bench to product, and all that entails, from IP, licensing agreements, to funding all the way to setting up production and teams. I do not have experience in regulatory approval processes. I bring a solutions-oriented, very practical approach to developing products and a history of bringing R&D all the way to commercialized product. I have been active as a mentor for 20+ years.

Check her LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: To take an asset from discovery to clinical trial. Knowledge in the CMC process, GLP toxicology, regulatory interactions, and process, knowledge in prep of Investigators Brochure, clinical synopsis, clinical protocol, running clinical trial, KOL identification and engagement, experience in investor discussions and raising investment, licensing deals, IP filing, and patent management, outsourcing to CMC and clinical CROs, etc.

Profile: With a background as Ph.D. in cancer, immunology, and drug delivery, I do understand the biology, and I can advise and supervise early-stage teams in how to build a biotech company with a focus on the important aspects and what to focus on first in order to secure rights and a fruitful and strong company. I have an overview of the WHOLE process of building a company ranging from lead selection into advanced clinical trials.

Check his LinkedIn.

Areas of expertise: Running R&D projects and taking Medtech products from the inception phase to market; translating business requirements and standards into product development plans and execution.

Profile: I am an accomplished Life Sciences Business Consultant with over 20 years of experience in the MedTech sector, specializing in device development, commercialization, and business development.

I was the Global Marketing Product Manager at Ambu A/S, managing the VivaSight product line within Pulmonology. I also served as General Manager and COO at ETView Ltd., leading product development and market entry strategies that notably increased company sales and market presence. Earlier, I led operations at the Trendlines Venture Accelerator, significantly boosting its reputation and operational effectiveness as a leading medical device incubator in Israel.

In my role as a mentor, I offer expertise in End-to-End Project Management, Business Planning, Strategy, Global Networking, and Start-Up Launch. These skills are crucial for achieving success in spin-out ventures or securing funding.