Zestagen SA

we develop monoclonal antibodies against cancer metastasis: the industry's 1st antibody to extracellular HSP 90, a validated oncology target

  • Stage Product In Development
  • Industry Biotechnology
  • Location Chemin des Croisettes, Epalinges, VD, Switzerland
  • Currency CHF
  • Founded October 2011
  • Employees 1
  • Website zestagen.com

Company Summary

Zestagen is a virtual, single-asset biotech. We develop monoclonal antibodies against Extracellular Heat Shock Protein-90 (ehsp90), a protein implicated in cancer metastasis. ehsp90 is detectable at the surface of cancer cells but not of normal cells. Our mAbs bind ehsp90 at the surface of cancer cells (but not normal cells) leading to significant inhibition of metastasis -in the absence of discernible toxicity- in preclinical animal models.

Team

  • Nassos Alevizopoulos, PhD, MBA
    CEO

    • Senior VP, Drug Development & Licensing at Regulon Inc.(USA) – oversaw award of an orphan drug in pancreatic cancer
    • Biomedical Consultant
    • CEO at Biomedcode SA, Bionova Ltd, COO at Dyonmed SA
    • Business Planning & Analysis Manager at Novartis
    • PhD in Molecular Biology from Lausanne Univ., recipient of the Brunner Prize of scientific excellence for the best of 181 PhDs
    • MBA from Lausanne Univ.
    • Eureka-Eurostars (EU SBIR) Technical E

  • Martin Austin
    Chairman

    • Former Principal at Paul Capital Partners Royalty Funds
    • Former Head of Business Development for the Pharmaceutical Division at Hoffmann-La Roche
    • Managing Director of MHIG Ltd and other executive industry positions
    • Currently Managing Director of TransformRx GmbH
    • Partner in Ventac Partners

  • Robert Buchanan, PhD, J.D.
    Board Member

    Patent attorney registered with US PTO; Ex co-chair of the Life Sciences Practice Group of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, LLP; Partner at Ventac Partners

  • Bruce R. Zetter, PhD
    Scientific Advisory Board Member

    • Professor of Cancer Biology at Harvard Medical School
    • globally known metastasis expert
    • Ex CSO, Children’s Hospital, Boston
    • MERIT Award, NCI
    • NIH’s Chair on Cancer Health Review
    • Co-founder of Predictive Biosciences, Inc.

  • Evanglelia Patsavoudi, PhD
    Scientific Advisory Board Member

    • A scientific pioneer of the extracellular hsp90 field
    • discovered the ZSG101 antibody, conceived and conducted the early experiments that documented its function
    • Prof. of Biology and Group Leader at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute
    • Several high impact publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Clinical Cancer Research, JBC, PLoS etc.

  • Nassos Alevizopoulos

Advisors

  • Vischer AG (CH), Saul Ewing (US)
    Lawyer
    Unconfirmed
    Fibatech SA (CH)
    Accountant
    Unconfirmed

Previous Investors

  • Ventac Partners (Cyprus) Ltd
    Unconfirmed
    Postel Investments Ltd
    Unconfirmed

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