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Pioneers in delivering medicines of the future

ABOUT US

ABOUT US

Vector BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the safety, efficacy, and specificity of drug delivery, to improve treatments for patients. Incorporating cutting-edge platform technologies, from world-class academic research at the University of Zürich, Vector BioPharma uses engineered virus-like particles to achieve cell- and tissue-specific delivery, and tunable expression of genes and regulators with unprecedented precision.

Our Mission

We develop next-generation therapeutics using our proprietary platform that delivers the right gene to the right place at the right time with unparalleled precision and versatility.

THE VECTOR BIOPHARMA TEAM

Vector Team

PEOPLE

Management team
Founders
Board of directors
Lorenz Mayr

Lorenz Mayr

Lorenz Mayr, Ph.D. is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Vector BioPharma. A biochemist, biophysicist and molecular biologist by training, he started his industry career at Bayer, subsequently assuming global roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis (Executive Director), AstraZeneca (VP and Global Head, Reagents and Assay Development), and GE Healthcare Life Sciences (Chief Technology Officer, Head of R&D). Prior to joining Vector, Lorenz was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Syncona. He holds Board positions at Phoremost, Mogrify and at Fraunhofer IGB, IPA and IZI. He is Chief Scientific Advisor to EQT Investments AB and holds a position as Guest Professor, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences at the ETH in Zürich. He trained at the University of Tübingen (Germany), University of Bayreuth (Germany), University of Colorado at Boulder (USA) and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass, USA).

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Sheena Smith

Sheena Smith

Sheena Smith, Ph.D., is the Head of Program Management at Vector BioPharma. She is a protein engineer with expert knowledge of gene and cell therapy, biochemical immunology, and directed evolution. Prior to joining Vector BioPharma AG as one of the first employees in 2021, Sheena did her post doc at the University of Zürich where she lead the first in vivo studies for SHREAD delivery of cancer therapeutics, which provided the foundation for Vector BioPharma and its proprietary Precision Gene Delivery Technology. Sheena has over 15 years of experience in biomedical research and has been an inventor of platform technologies in T cell receptor engineering and adenoviral gene therapy. In this field she has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and holds several patents. She holds her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the USA.

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Nicholas (Nik) Barbet

Nicholas (Nik) Barbet

Nicholas (Nik) Barbet, D. Phil, is Head of Operations at Vector BioPharma. A biochemist and molecular biologist by training, he joined Vector Biopharma from Corlieve Therapeutics AG (Paris, France), a biotechnology company developing gene therapies for the treatment of epilepsy.  Nik began his industry career in clinical research at Ciba Geigy AG/ Novartis AG  (Basel, Switzerland). He moved to F. Hoffmann La Roche in 2000, where he gained extensive experience in clinical development, project management and project leadership in oncology, cardiometabolic diseases and neuroscience, alliance management, finance, procurement and business operations.  He trained at University of Bath (UK), university of Sussex (UK), University of Basel (Switzerland), IMD (Lausanne, Switzerland) and London Business School (London, UK).

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Kerry Thornton

Kerry Thornton

Kerry Thornton, BA Hons, is the Executive Assistant at Vector BioPharma and a member of the Management team. She has extensive experience in administrative and managerial roles in the Pharma  and airline industries, joining Vector from F. Hoffmann La Roche (Basel, Switzerland), where she was an Administrative Professional and Business Manager to the Global Head of Program Management in Product Development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from the University of Liverpool.

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Lorenz Mayr, Ph.D

Lorenz Mayr, Ph.D

Lorenz Mayr, Ph.D. is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Vector BioPharma. A biochemist, biophysicist and molecular biologist by training, he started his industry career at Bayer, subsequently assuming global roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis (Executive Director), AstraZeneca (VP and Global Head, Reagents and Assay Development), and GE Healthcare Life Sciences (Chief Technology Officer, Head of R&D). Prior to joining Vector, Lorenz was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Syncona. He holds Board positions at Phoremost, Mogrify and at Fraunhofer IGB, IPA and IZI. He is Chief Scientific Advisor to EQT Investments AB and holds a position as Guest Professor, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences at the ETH in Zürich. He trained at the University of Tübingen (Germany), University of Bayreuth (Germany), University of Colorado at Boulder (USA) and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass, USA).

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Andreas Plückthun

Andreas Plückthun

Andreas Plückthun, PhD, is scientific co-founder of Vector BioPharma and a member of the Board of Directors. He is a full professor of biochemistry at the University of Zürich. An internationally recognized pioneer in protein engineering, his research has made fundamental scientific contributions to the field, resulting in development of synthetic antibodies, ribosome display, the Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) technology and stable GPCRs for structure-based drug development. He is an elected member of the German National Academy of Science Leopoldina and the European Molecular Biology Organization and is recipient of numerous international awards for his research.

Prof. Plückthun is co-founder of Morphosys AG (Munich, Germany), Molecular Partners AG (Zürich, Switzerland) and G7 Therapeutics (now Heptares, part of the Sosei Group). He trained in chemistry at the University of Heidelberg, received his PhD from the University of California at San Diego, and was postdoc at Harvard University, and then group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Martinsried, Germany).

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Alexander Mayweg

Alexander Mayweg

Alexander Mayweg, Ph.D., is Chairman of the Board of Vector BioPharma and also serves as head of Ridgeline Therapeutics, Versant’s Basel-based Discovery Engine. Alex is an accomplished leader in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry across Europe, the U.S. and Asia. He brings to Versant deep operating capabilities, having led successful therapeutics portfolios, programs and teams within Roche Pharma Research and Early Development.

Since joining Versant in 2016, he has been involved in launching and investing in a number of Versant’s portfolio companies including Black Diamond (BDTX), Monte Rosa (GLUE), Bright Peak, Enterprise (acquired), T-knife and Matterhorn.

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Markus Enzelberger

Markus Enzelberger

Markus Enzelberger is a partner located in Basel where he plays a central role in the launch of future newcos from Versant’s Ridgeline Discovery Engine.

He is a seasoned executive with deep domain knowledge of drug discovery and development, especially in the protein field. Markus most recently was CSO and a member of the management board of MorphoSys. He joined the company in 2002 and is recognized as an authority in the field of protein engineering.

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Andreas Plückthun

Andreas Plückthun

Andreas Plückthun, PhD, is scientific co-founder of Vector BioPharma and a member of the Board of Directors. He is a full professor of biochemistry at the University of Zürich. An internationally recognized pioneer in protein engineering, his research has made fundamental scientific contributions to the field, resulting in development of synthetic antibodies, ribosome display, the Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) technology and stable GPCRs for structure-based drug development. He is an elected member of the German National Academy of Science Leopoldina and the European Molecular Biology Organization and is recipient of numerous international awards for his research.

Prof. Plückthun is co-founder of Morphosys AG (Munich, Germany), Molecular Partners AG (Zürich, Switzerland) and G7 Therapeutics (now Heptares, part of the Sosei Group). He trained in chemistry at the University of Heidelberg, received his PhD from the University of California at San Diego, and was postdoc at Harvard University, and then group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Martinsried, Germany).

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TECHNOLOGY

Vector BioPharma’s cutting-edge gene precision delivery technology will transform the safety, efficacy, and specificity of biologics and cell therapies.

Our Shielded, Retargeted Adenovirus-based virus-like particle (SHREAD) platform utilizes a high capacity non-viral particle combined with exogenous, high-avidity adapter proteins to redirect delivery of DNA encoding therapeutics to defined biomarkers on the target cell or tissue, in a highly controlled manner.

This allows for the local production of highly potent drugs with greatly reduced risk of systemic toxicities and opens the door for multiple applications in gene-based medicines.

PARTNERING

Vector BioPharma is a pharmaceutical company developing its own therapeutic products. The Company’s proprietary delivery technology is available to license by innovative companies with new modalities.

We are looking to partner with pioneers in the fields of immuno-oncology, cell therapies, precision medicine, and academic researchers to revolutionize gene delivery.

INVESTORS

Vector BioPharma will commercialize its technology via the development of therapeutics and is initially focused on immuno-oncology. The company’s SHREAD technology can be used to deliver genes and gene regulators to facilitate the use of next-generation treatment modalities working with DNA, including in-situ expression of immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T cell therapies.

Following a successful Series A round in 2021, Vector Biopharma will continue to invest in technology development. We welcome inquiries from investors for series A extension as well as a future Series B investment round.

CURRENT INVESTORS

CAREERS

Vector BioPharma values diversity and inclusion and is committed to supporting its team’s personal and career development. If you’d like to find out more about career opportunities at Vector BioPharma, access our current vacancies through our partner’s hiring portal.

LOCATION

Founded in 2021, Vector BioPharma is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Situated at the very heart of Europe, bordering France and Germany, Basel boasts diversity, great quality of life and one of the largest pools of pharma talent.

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