Team
We are working hard to achieve our long-term goal of providing improved treatment options to seriously ill cancer patients with a high unmet medical need. To that end, we have built an experienced team of entrepreneurs, scientists, and investors with an outstanding track record in the industry.
Management
Dr. Pascal Schweizer
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer/Chief Financial Officer
Pascal Schweizer is a co-founder of Thermosome and has served as the Company´s CEO since 2014. He has a wealth of international business and consulting experience with a focus on the high-tech and medtech sectors. Among others, he was Director Corporate Strategy and Venturing at Carl Zeiss AG and Case Team Leader at strategy consulting firm Bain & Company.
Pascal Schweizer holds a PhD in Business Administration from Technical University Berlin and an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from University of Karlsruhe.
Pascal Schweizer holds a PhD in Business Administration from Technical University Berlin and an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from University of Karlsruhe.
Dr. Wolfgang Schwandner
Managing Director
Wolfgang Schwandner is a business angel and investor in several healthcare and life science companies. He brings more than 30 years of experience in executive positions in the international pharmaceutical industry and is the founder of various pharmaceutical and healthcare companies focusing on generics manufacturing, biotech, wholesaling and services.
Wolfgang Schwandner holds a diploma and a PhD degree in Biology from Technical University Munich and Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.
Wolfgang Schwandner holds a diploma and a PhD degree in Biology from Technical University Munich and Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.
Dr. Klaus Fischer
Chief Development Officer
Klaus Fischer has more than 30 years of experience in leading positions in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining Thermosome, he was Senior Vice President Global Clinical Development at Celerion, Inc., and founder and CEO of Assign Group and ABF Pharmaceutical Services GmbH. Prior to that, he held several positions of increasing responsibility at Aventis Pharma / Hoechst, most recently as Medical Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Aventis Pharma Austria.
Klaus Fischer holds a PhD in Medicine from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and a degree as a registered pharmacist from Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen.
Klaus Fischer holds a PhD in Medicine from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and a degree as a registered pharmacist from Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen.
Dr. Uwe Michaelis
Chief Operating Officer
Uwe Michaelis has more than 30 years of research experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He has a strong track record in the preparation and execution of early-stage development plans leading to first-in-human clinical trial application.
Before joining Thermosome, Uwe Michaelis served as COO of ImevaX and has held several research and management positions of increasing responsibility at Medigene AG from 2004 – 2011. Prior to this, he was a co-founder and CSO of Munich Biotech AG and has held relevant R&D positions at Boehringer Mannheim (now Roche Diagnostics) for seven years.
He holds a PhD in Biology from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and a diploma in Biology from the University of Regensburg.
Before joining Thermosome, Uwe Michaelis served as COO of ImevaX and has held several research and management positions of increasing responsibility at Medigene AG from 2004 – 2011. Prior to this, he was a co-founder and CSO of Munich Biotech AG and has held relevant R&D positions at Boehringer Mannheim (now Roche Diagnostics) for seven years.
He holds a PhD in Biology from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and a diploma in Biology from the University of Regensburg.
Dr. Martin Hossann
Co-founder and Principal Scientist
Martin Hossann is co-founder, principal scientist, and QA manager at Thermosome. He brings significant expertise in the implementation of GCP-compliant QMS and consultation of the management & project teams (e.g., CMC, IP, liposomology).
Prior to co-founding Thermosome, he gained extensive experience in the academic sector, e.g., as Laboratory Head of the liposome research group at the University Hospital of Munich or Scientific Project Manager at Max Planck Innovation GmbH.
Martin Hossann holds a PhD and a diploma in Chemistry from the University of Kaiserslautern.
Prior to co-founding Thermosome, he gained extensive experience in the academic sector, e.g., as Laboratory Head of the liposome research group at the University Hospital of Munich or Scientific Project Manager at Max Planck Innovation GmbH.
Martin Hossann holds a PhD and a diploma in Chemistry from the University of Kaiserslautern.
Prof. Dr. Lars Lindner
Co-founder and Clinical Advisor
Lars Lindner is an experienced oncologist with a strong professional focus on sarcoma, hyperthermia therapies and liposomes.
He is a Senior Consultant in Hematology and Oncology at Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, and Head Sarcoma Medical Oncology and Hyperthermia Unit.
Moreover, he leads the project group Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Munich Cancer Center. He is also group leader of the study group Liposomes focusing on the development of novel thermosensitive liposomes for targeted therapy of solid tumors in combination with hyperthermia.
Lars Lindner holds a PhD from Georg August University, Goettingen, and was appointed as Full Professor for Sarcoma Treatment in 2019.
He is a Senior Consultant in Hematology and Oncology at Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, and Head Sarcoma Medical Oncology and Hyperthermia Unit.
Moreover, he leads the project group Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Munich Cancer Center. He is also group leader of the study group Liposomes focusing on the development of novel thermosensitive liposomes for targeted therapy of solid tumors in combination with hyperthermia.
Lars Lindner holds a PhD from Georg August University, Goettingen, and was appointed as Full Professor for Sarcoma Treatment in 2019.
Dr. Kerstin Pino Tossi
Vice President, Head of Business Development
Kerstin Pino Tossi brings in-depth business development experience with a successful global deal track record in cellular immunotherapy and oncology. She has a comprehensive understanding of the general process and stages of drug development based on extensive experience in internationally operating biotechnology companies in various R&D positions. Before joining Thermosome, Kerstin held positions of increasing responsibility at Medigene, initially in R&D and subsequently in business development, most recently as Director Business Development.
Kerstin Pino Tossi holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a diploma in Biology from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.
Kerstin Pino Tossi holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a diploma in Biology from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich.
Supervisory Board
Dr. Manfred Rüdiger
Chairman; Chief Executive Officer, Ariceum Therapeutics
Manfred Rüdiger is a serial biotech entrepreneur and has been in executive functions in the biotech industry for almost 25 years. Whilst at CatalYm (2018-2021), he built the company from incubator to clinical stage, raising over €55 million. Prior to this, Manfred was Chairman of apceth Biopharma, where he led the negotiations during the acquisition of apceth by Hitachi in 2019. Manfred has been a Venture Partner with LSP (now EQT Life Sciences) since 2009 and was appointed CEO of Kiadis Pharma N.V. in 2012 which he restructured and led to its IPO on Euronext in 2015 (subsequently acquired by Sanofi). Previously, he was Chief Scientific Officer of Cardion (asset sale to Roche) and CEO of Igeneon (merger with NASDAQ-listed Aphton) until 2005. Manfred serves as a Supervisory Board member of several biopharmaceutical companies.
He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, Goettingen.
He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, Goettingen.
Dr. Jochen Knolle
Chief Scientific and Chief Operating Officer, Pharvaris
Jochen Knolle brings more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is familiar with every aspect of drug discovery, development and registration.
He started his career in the central pharmaceutical research unit of Hoechst AG and Hoechst-Marion-Roussel (HMR). In 1998, Jochen joined Axys Pharmaceuticals (now Celera) in San Francisco, where he served as VP for Medicinal Chemistry and Structural Biology. In 2001, Jochen joined Jerini AG in Berlin as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D until Jerini was acquired by Shire in 2008. Since then, he co-founded Kosa Pharma, 3B Pharmaceuticals and, most recently, Pharvaris where he continues to serve as COO and CSO. He also is a board member for the Charité Research Organisation GmbH, Senior Advisor to Kurma Partners and was previously Senior Advisor to TVM Capital.
He studied Chemistry in Goettingen and Muenster and was a post-doc in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate E.J. Corey at Harvard University.
He started his career in the central pharmaceutical research unit of Hoechst AG and Hoechst-Marion-Roussel (HMR). In 1998, Jochen joined Axys Pharmaceuticals (now Celera) in San Francisco, where he served as VP for Medicinal Chemistry and Structural Biology. In 2001, Jochen joined Jerini AG in Berlin as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D until Jerini was acquired by Shire in 2008. Since then, he co-founded Kosa Pharma, 3B Pharmaceuticals and, most recently, Pharvaris where he continues to serve as COO and CSO. He also is a board member for the Charité Research Organisation GmbH, Senior Advisor to Kurma Partners and was previously Senior Advisor to TVM Capital.
He studied Chemistry in Goettingen and Muenster and was a post-doc in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate E.J. Corey at Harvard University.
Dr. Franz-Robert Klingan
Partner, Bain & Company
Franz-Robert Klingan is a Partner in Bain & Company’s Munich office. He is responsible for Bain’s services for healthcare investors across EMEA and is a leader in Bain’s Healthcare and Private Equity practices. He has more than 20 years of industry and management consulting experience, working with multinational client teams and investors to develop new strategies.
Franz-Robert holds deep expertise in corporate and business unit strategy development, as well as performance improvement and commercial review and valuation. Franz-Robert has applied his consulting expertise globally, having been part of Bain’s Boston office between 2003 and 2006.
Franz-Robert Klingan started his career at Hoechst AG (now Sanofi). He received a degree in Chemistry from the Technical University of Munich, where he also earned his doctorate.
Franz-Robert holds deep expertise in corporate and business unit strategy development, as well as performance improvement and commercial review and valuation. Franz-Robert has applied his consulting expertise globally, having been part of Bain’s Boston office between 2003 and 2006.
Franz-Robert Klingan started his career at Hoechst AG (now Sanofi). He received a degree in Chemistry from the Technical University of Munich, where he also earned his doctorate.
Cédric Barra
Senior Investment Manager (Life Sciences), Occident Group
Cédric Barra leads the life sciences team at Occident Group, an international venture capital investor with offices in Zug and Munich.
He brings many years of experience in private equity and venture capital and is always looking for the most promising and most innovative technologies and start-ups in the life sciences sector; he is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence and active portfolio management.
Cédric studied Pharmaceuticals and Economics in Zurich.
He brings many years of experience in private equity and venture capital and is always looking for the most promising and most innovative technologies and start-ups in the life sciences sector; he is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence and active portfolio management.
Cédric studied Pharmaceuticals and Economics in Zurich.
Investors
