About
selectION, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel peptide therapies for autoimmune diseases and selected cancer indications by targeting autoreactive, chronically activated T cells.
The Company has established an efficient, unique technology platform to develop potent and highly selective peptide blockers for ion channels involved in various diseases. The platform enables to systematically optimize target selectivity, providing the opportunity to develop drugs with significantly improved efficacy and safety profiles.
selectION is backed by SDL Ventures and Global Source Ventures. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA, and has a subsidiary in Martinsried, Germany.
Management
Antonius Schuh, Ph.D.
CEO
- 25+ years of executive leadership experience in the biotechnology, healthcare and life sciences industries
- Served as CEO of five life sciences companies, including Arcturus Bioscience, AviaraDx (now bioTheranostics), Sequenom (NASDAQ: SQNM), Sorrento Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRNE) and Cardiff Oncology (formerly Trovagene, NASDAQ: CRDF)
- Raised over $600 million through venture funding, debt financing, and IPO proceeds
- Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Global Source Ventures
- PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Bonn, Germany
Andreas Klostermann, Ph.D.
CSO and Founder
- Founder and General Manager of conoGenetix biosciences GmbH, Munich, Germany
- Over 15 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry
- Graduated from the Ruhr University Bochum with a degree in Biology and received his PhD from the Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research in neurochemistry
- Completed his post-doctoral work at the Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry in Munich and worked at GATC Biotech in Konstanz before founding conoGenetix
Stephen Zaniboni
CFO
- Over 25 years of experience as a finance executive in the life sciences industry
- Served as CFO of six companies including AviaraDx, Awarepoint, Sequenom (NASDAQ: SQNM), Sorrento Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRNE), Cardiff Oncology (formerly Trovagene, NASDAQ: CRDF), and XIFIN
- Raised over $600 million through venture funding, debt financing, and IPO proceeds and completed four M&A transactions
- Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Global Source Ventures
Elizabeth Anderson
VP, Finance
- Over 25 years of finance and operations experience in life science industry
- Integral part of multiple private rounds of financing, public offerings, acquisitions, and debt borrowings
- Began career at Ernst & Young, with several years in Milan, Italy office
- Senior positions at Trovagene, Neothetics, GenVault, Kalypsys and Sequenom
- BS, Business Administration, Colorado State University; Certified Public Accountant
Board of Directors
Antonius Schuh, Ph.D.
CEO and Chairman of the Board
Mark C. Wiggins
Director
- 35+ years of experience as a biopharmaceutical executive in the life sciences industry
- Head of Marketing at Idec for the blockbuster product Rituxan. On steering committee for Rituxan over 11 years.
- Led Business Development for Idec and Biogen. Completed deals for 6 commercialized blockbuster products.
- Serves on the Board of Zogenix Inc.
- Led sale of Mpex Pharma
- Founder and managing director of BioPharma Business Development, LLC
- BS degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University and MBA from University of Arizona
Cam Gallagher
Director
- 25+ years of senior management leadership and director roles with several successful biotech and life science companies from formation through financing and successful acquisitions
- Serves on the boards of Zentalis, VelosBIO and Ocuphire
- Served as Director and Chief Business Officer of Retrosense Therapeutics through the acquisition by Allergan PLC
- Current and previous roles include Immusoft, Zavante, Kalyra, Nerveda, Verus, Dura and CVT
- B.S. in Business Administration from Ohio University and M.B.A. from the University of San Diego
Don Scifres, Ph.D.
Director
- Founder of SDL Ventures, LLC and SDL Capital, LP based in Los Altos, California
- Founder and CEO SDL Inc. a top 25 NASDAQ company by market cap
- Grew SDL Inc. to $500M in sales and 2,000 employees; sold in 2001 for $40B
- 40+ years of executive leadership experience across various technology industries
Mike Foster
Director
- 40+ years of financial leadership experience across various technology industries
- Highly effective key advisor and partner to entrepreneurial leaders
- Currently Partner at SDL Ventures, LLC and SDL Capital, LP based in Los Altos, California
- Served as CFO of SDL Inc. until sold for $40B in 2001 to JDS Uniphase
Scientific Advisory Board
Christopher Larson, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- Advisor to pharmaceutical industry and serving as Adjunct Associate Professor of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP)
- Served as Vice President for Drug Discovery at the Sanford Burnham Institute
- Advanced numerous drug candidates from research to global clinical development at Takeda Pharmaceuticals
- Helped to launch Karus Therapeutics in the field of small molecule cancer and rheumatology drugs and led discovery and research projects at Kemia, Inc.
- Received his PhD in chemistry from Harvard University and completed post-doctoral research at the Salk Institute
Fred Ramsdell, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- VP Research at Parker Institute, San Francisco
- Former VP at aTyr Pharma, San Diego
- Previous roles include Novo Nordisk, where he established the Inflammation Research Center in Seattle and lead the immunobiology group, Zymo Genetics, Immunes & Darwin Molecular (acquired by Celltech)
- Honored with the Crafoord Prize from Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which also awards the Nobel Prizes, for pioneering work related to Tregs and the FOXP3 gene
- Doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of California, Los Angeles and BA degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego
Mark Benedyk, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- Operating Partner at Sweetwater Capital, Executive Director at AmebaGone, & Advisor to RARE Science, serves on the boards of Pulmotect, Alafair Biosciences and Accel-Rx
- Previous roles include co-Founder, President and CEO of Telephus, Sr. Director at Pfizer & Head of the Pfizer Incubator
- Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University & Lucille P. Markey Graduate Fellow
Key Investors
GSV is a San Diego based investment firm, that provides capital, management and advisory services to early-stage life sciences companies with disruptive technologies that have the potential to substantially improve the conditions of life.
SDL Ventures focuses on early stage investments offering clear technical differentiation and strong founder teams. Since its inception, SDL Ventures has been involved in over ninety financings in some thirty companies. In recent years, most new investments have been in biotechnology and other healthcare solutions.