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Macarena

Macarena Diaz

Macarena Díaz joined MaxiVAX in June 2022 as CMC & Quality Manager.

Macarena has accumulated over 8 years of experience, primarily in the field of Quality Assurance and also in Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance.

Macarena worked for different multinational companies. She started her career with Saval laboratories in the regulatory affairs department before moving to Sanofi to work in Quality Assurance. More recently, she worked for Ferring as Quality Assurance country responsible and carried out other consultancy activities for pharmaceutical distributors. She was in charge of implementing and maintaining quality systems, performing quality audits and managing relationship and documentation with third parties.

Macarena received a pharmacist degree from University of Chile.

Fabien Courtout

Fabien Courtout

GMP Manufacturing Technician

Fabien Courtout joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2022 and is in charge of GMP manufacturing of MVX-ONCO-1. He holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnologies. He has worked as laboratory technician in Yeast biology and genetic research. He also performed genetic test and FACS data analysis for pharmaceutical groups.

Adrien Engel

R&D Associate, Technology Development

Adrien Engel joined MaxiVAX in November 2020. He supports the executive team to develop MaxiVAX’ next encapsulated cell technologies from the proof of mechanism to clinical phase.
Adrien worked on treatments based on dendritic cell vaccination and subcutaneous cellular implants against autoimmune diseases. He holds a Master’s degree in synthetic biology from Paris Descartes University. He recently was awarded a PhD in immunology from the University of Lausanne.

Bruno Osterwalder, M.D., FFPM

Chief Medical Advisor

Dr Bruno Osterwalder joined MaxiVAXs executive team as a consultant in 2020. He is a board-certified hematologist and oncologist with 15 years of academic clinical practice in internal medicine, hematology and oncology (Swiss board certifications). This was followed by 19 years of experience in functions with increasing scientific and managerial responsibilities in global drug development and strategic portfolio management at F. Hoffmann-Roche Basel in the areas of hematology, (immuno-) oncology and renal and cancer anemia (global approvals for Xeloda in breast and colon cancer, Rituximab in DLBCL and Mircera in renal anemia), and over 6 years at Merck Serono Darmstadt (Tepotinib, approval in Japan in NSCLC), including experience in Japan and China and a focus on early POC stages, translational medicine and biomarker questions, and with broad experience in interactions with regulatory authorities worldwide. Since 5 years, his experience in in-licensing evaluations resulted in a worldwide consulting function primarily for biotech’s. Dr. Osterwalder is a member of ASCO, AACR, ASH, ESMO and SITC.

RÉMI VERNET, M.ENG

Scientific Associate

Rémi Vernet joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2012 and works on the development of MaxiVAX’s cell-based therapies in preclinical models, as well as in clinical setting. He is in charge of implementing the immune monitoring startegy of the company in collaboration with subject matter experts. Rémi is also in charge of supervising trainees in Nicolas Mach’s research group.
Following his Engineering studies in biotechnologies and therapeutic strategies, he worked 4 years in Paris on cell therapy and protocol development. He worked in different public hospitals as well as a private laboratory in ISTEM (Thelethon’s laboratory). He then decided to focus on a pharmaceutical drug screening project.

Sirja Nelson

Administrative Assistant

Sirja joined MaxiVAX in 2020. Prior to that she worked 20 years in the financial sector. In the last 15 years, she managed the administrative and financial tasks of an international family office. She now provides administrative and organizational support for the MaxiVAX office.

Salina Arope, PhD

Office Manager

Salina Arope joined MaxiVAX in 2017 as an Office Manager. Since January 2020, she is also the Project Coordinator forMaxiVAX’s H2020 EU project.
Salina has previously worked at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne and EPFL, among other places. With a background in Molecular Biology, she provides general and scientific administrative support to members of the MaxiVAX team.
Salina received a Bachelor’s degree from University of California (Davis), a Master of Biology from California State University of Long Beach, California and a doctorate degree in Biology from University of Lausanne.

Nicolas Mach, MD

Chief Scientific Officer

Nicolas Mach is one of the co- fonder of MaxiVAX. His scientific expertise on cell-based cancer immunotherapy is the basis for the patented technology developed by MaxiVAX. Prof Mach is deputy Head of the Oncology Division at the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) and Head of the Clinical Research Unit and member of the Clinical Trial Unit bureau at HUG. The Clinical Research Unit headed by Nicolas Mach runs over 50 clinicals trials in oncology from Phase I to Phase III, mostly in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Nicolas Mach is the principal Investigator of more than 20 clinical trials. His research team is responsible for both the manufacturing of the clinical garde products from the SwissMedic certified Cell Therapy Facility of HUG and the development of novel cell lines and encapsulation devices for the stable and prolonged production of immunostimulatory proteins including monoclonal antibodies.

Marie-Claude Belkouch

Quality Assurance Manager – Manufacturing

Marie-Claude Belkouch joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2009. She graduated from the Laboratory Technician School in tropical parasitology and in health and community care. After more than 25 years in molecular biology and immunology laboratories at the faculty of medicine in Geneva, Marie-Claude started working in oncology. She gained 10 years of experience in the manufacturing of cell-based immunotherapies and has developed an expertise in quality assurance.

M.Sc., PMKsenija Pavletic Aranicki, M.Sc., MBA

Board Member, Deputy CEO

Mrs Pavletic Aranicki joined MaxiVAX Board of Directors in May 2020.  She has over 20 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry in both large pharma companies as well as start-up biotech. Mrs Pavletic has a succesfull track record in building up commercial organizations, product launches, market access, business development activities (licensing deals),  public and private fund raising and M&A deals. She is currently the CEO of a specialty pharma Company PregLem and is also serving as an entrepreneur in residence for Jeito Investment Fund.
Mrs Pavletic holds an MSc in Biotechnology from Zagreb University (Croatia) and an MBA from Webster University in Geneva (Switzerland).

Julien Grogg, M.Sc., PMP

VP, Technology Development

Julien Grogg joined MaxiVAX in January 2014 to launch and lead the First In Human clinical trial of MVX-ONCO-1. He is now serving as Vice President of Technology and leads the development of MaxiVAX’s novel product platform from early proof of mechanism to clinical translation. Julien has over 15 years of global pharma/biotech experience in both preclinical and clinical development of drugs, medical devices, cell therapy products and ATMPs under the auspices of the FDA, the EMA and Swissmedic. Amongst others, Julien filed and maintained market access and CE mark registration dossier of an implantable cell encapsulation product in Europe and in Mexico. He is the co-inventor of 2 patented medical products harnessing cell encapsulation technology.

Born in Switzerland, Julien is a Biomedical engineer by training and holds a M.Sc. in Clinical Research from the University of Edinburgh. He is also a certified PMP(r) from the Project Management Institute.

Clarence Peter

Board member

Mr. Clarence Peter is one of the three founders of MaxiVAX and an active Board member since its incorporation in December 2005. He is a senior partner of the law firm Kellerhals Carrard Geneva; advisor of multiple national and international firms with a focus on new technologies and med-tech. He has a large experience in assisting commercial clients in all stages of their development including litigation, cross-border transactions and M&A. Mr Clarence Peter is proud to be an entrepreneur, dedicated to the value creation.

Muriel Urwyler

Scientific Associate

Muriel Urwyler joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2016 to work on the development of MaxiVAX’s next generation cell line. More recently, she also joined the manufacturing team. She holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in biochemistry from the University of Geneva. Prior to joining Nicolas Mach’s research group, Muriel worked as a Research Laboratory Technician in oncology, in the development of a vaccine against cerebral tumors. She also worked in the development of novel cell therapies to treat diabetes.

Jessica Renaux, M.Sc.

Sr. Clinical Trial Manager

Jessica Renaux joined MaxiVAX in August 2020 as a Senior Clinical Trial Manager.

Prior to this, Jessica gathered 14 years of experience in drug discovery and development, both in the big pharma and not-for-profit organisation environments. After an early career as a medicinal chemist at GSK UK, she held different positions within the GSK early clinical development organisation, as a Clinical Data Manager, Clinical Study Manager and as a Clinical Lead for multiple small molecule and biopharmaceutical assets in the immuno-inflammation area. More recently, she led the set-up and conduct of a large pivotal multi-country phase III trial for a novel antibiotic within the GARDP Foundation based in Geneva Switzerland.

Jessica received a Chemistry “Diplôme d’Ingénieur” from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (France) and a Master of Biomolecular Engineering from Montpellier University.

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Emily Charrier, Ph.D.

Research Associate

Emily Charrier, joined MaxiVAX in February 2018, as Research Associate. At MaxiVAX, she is in charge of research projects in cancer immunotherapy and immune reactions induced by immunotherapy. Prior to MaxiVAX, Emily worked 10 years in the development of immune-monitoring for anti-cancer immunotherapies. She was awarded a Master’s degree from Grenoble University in France and a PhD in immunology from the University of Montreal in Canada.

Olivier von Rohr

GMP Manufacturing Technician

Olivier von Rohr joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2017 and is in charge of the GMP manufacturing of MVX-ONCO-1. During his studies as Biology Laboratory Technician (2012-2015), he gained experience in genetic research, microbiology and toxicology.

Valentin Saingier

GMP Manufacturing Technician

Valentin Saingier joined Nicolas Mach’s research group in 2020 and is in charge of the GMP manufacturing of MVX-ONCO-1. He holds a Bachelor degree in biotechnologies. He worked in different resaearch areas such as Alzheimer, stem cells cryopreservation, genetic analyses and vegetal pathology, both in wet lab and GMP manufacturing facilities.