VIROSTATICS - Key Persons
Dr. Poddesu is a biologist with specialization in microbiology and virology and she has fifteen-year laboratory experience in the field of drug discovery.
She works in ViroStatics since 2009 as Senior Researcher dedicated to the development of anti-viral and anti-cancer compounds.
Prior to join ViroStatics, she worked at the Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven (Belgium) and at the Idenix-Università di Cagliari laboratory.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Mol
Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Sciences (School of Medicine) and International Health (Bloomberg School of Public Health) of Johns Hopkins University
Job Titles:
- Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of AIDS Research, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston; Principal Investigator Harvard Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Unit.
Davide De Forni is a biologist, PhD in immunology and microbiology, and is the Chief Scientific Officer in ViroStatics, coordinating the screening and development of new drug candidates. He gained experience in the HIV field in the laboratories of the Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, Reference Centre for AIDS (University of Padua), where he studied immune reconstitution in HIV-1-infected children on antiretroviral therapy.
He was then employed by the Biotechnology Research Institute of Altavilla Vicentina (Vicenza, Italy) in the biochemistry laboratory dealing with purification of recombinant proteins from cell cultures. Davide has 15+ years laboratory background, with expertise in biochemistry and both molecular and cellular biology, and 10+ years of drug development experience.
Ennio Cavalletti brings over 30 years of drug development experience to his role as Head of Nonclinical Development at ViroStatics. Trained as a veterinarian specializing in small animal clinics, he started his industrial career at Boehringer Mannheim as Director of the Department of Toxicology Safety.
In 1999, he founded Novuspharma, a company devoted to research and development of antitumor drugs, acting as its Director of Research Services and Operations.
In 2006, Dr. Cavalletti founded EOS (Ethical Oncology Science), a company focuses on the development of oncology compounds acquired through various forms of partnering, acting as its VP Operations. He is a European Certified Toxicologist and contract professor at the Specialty Courses on Laboratory Animals Science (University of Milan) and Clinical Pharmacology (University of Milan & Nettuno, Rome). For many years he acted as the Italian coordinator of the Expert Working Groups for ICH (International Conference on Harmonization of Pharmaceutical Guidelines) by appointment of Farmindustria, the association of national and foreign-owned pharmaceutical companies operating in Italy.
He has authored over 110 publications/posters and is an inventor on 6 registered patents.
Job Titles:
- Member of the MANAGEMENT Team
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the MANAGEMENT Team
Franco Lori founded ViroStatics in 2005, serving as President and Chief Executive Officer. With 25 years of extensive experience in Biotech management, Dr. Lori has successfully overseen the start up of several biotechnology companies. Dr. Lori has experience in investigative preclinical and clinical research interacting with a network of clinical, pharmaceutical, government, and basic researchers in the US and Europe. In 2000, Dr. Lori was recognized as a "Hero in Medicine" for his achievements in HIV therapy. He has co-authored over 100 international peer-reviewed publications and been an inventor on 20 patent applications.
Dr. Lori received his MD from the University of Parma and earned his PhD at the University of Pavia, Italy. He was senior investigator in the laboratory of tumor cell biology at the National Cancer Institute under the leadership of Robert Gallo before co-founding RIGHT (Research Institute for Genetic and Human Therapy, http://www.rightinstitute.net/) in 1994, where he serves as vice-President.
Job Titles:
- Head of Flow Cytometry
- in 2011 As Senior Researcher
Giulia Cugia is a biotechnologist, PhD in Mechanism of Cell Regulation, who gained experience in flow cytometry methods at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (National Centre of Excellence for Flow Cytometry). During this period she studied the effect of ionizing radiation on cryopreserved T cells by using flow cytometry techniques.
Dr. Cugia joined ViroStatics in 2011 as Senior Researcher in the Drug Development Unit, presently she is the Head of Flow Cytometry Unit Director (Head of FCU).
Job Titles:
- Head of Clinical Development
Dr. Rogan (MD, PhD, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb) has recently joined ViroStatics as a consultant, she has strong expertise in clinical oncology. In her 25 years service to Pharma Industry she covered positions of Medical director for Farmitalia Carlo Erba office for Eastern Europe, CSC Pharmaceuticals and Cyathus Exquirere, Vienna. Also she ran the Regulatory affairs office and Pharmacovigilance for CSC Pharmaceuticals and was Qualified person for Pharmacovigilance (EUQPPV) for Cyathus Exquirere.
Dr. Rogan will participate in the development program of ViroStatics CDK4/6/9 inhibitors, particularly in the field of oncology and HIV-associated malignancies and will provide ViroStatics with advice and consultation as may be required. She will be specifically involved in the elaboration of the objectives, strategies, studies, results and data generated along the development program. The Consultant's expertise will allow both a critical evaluation of the strategy, and the suggestion of the subsequent steps to be performed for the full exploitation of the anti-cancer activity of ViroStatics' CDK4/6/9 inhibitors.
Job Titles:
- President of Sonnet Pharma Consulting Inc. in Canada Former Head, Global Licensing, Virology, Boehringer Ingelheim
Marco Adami served as Director of Formulation Development and Pilot Plants - Pharmaceutical Sciences at Pharmacia & Upjohn and then as Chief Scientist - Pharmaceutical Sciences at Pharmacia, Nerviano (Milan). Most recently he served as Director of Pharmaceutical Technology at Italfarmaco (Milan).
His major responsibilities have been in the identification and development of formulations, manufacture of clinical supplies, and transfer of final products/processes/methods to Production Plants.
He has also provided technical and scientific support to pharmaceutical scientists, implementing a project review system for drug development projects.
He has authored over 30 publications.
Porto Conte Research Center, a branch of the Sardinian Science and Technology Park, provides state-of-the-art facilities and technology platforms, meeting and conference rooms, a cafeteria, and an on-site guest house, all located in a beautiful Natural Park Area.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer / Professor of Medicine, UC - Davis
Richard B. Pollard researching HIV/AIDS has been involved in the development of new therapies for the Herpes viruses, Hepatitis viruses and HIV treatment for more than thirty years. He became an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas at Galveston and was appointed as a Professor of Internal Medicine, Pathology and Microbiology in 1989. He relocated to the University of California, Davis Medical School in Sacramento in 2001, where he is Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Pollard has authored over 200 publications. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator of the Immunology Specialty Laboratory, Chair of the ACTG Laboratory Evaluation Subcommittee, and Principal Investigator of the California Research Center for the Biology of HIV in Minorities.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine of Cleveland Center for AIDS Research Principal Investigator
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Operations Officer
Ms. Petrocchi joined RIGHT in August of 1997 as Chief Administrative Officer in Italy with responsibility for managing all organizational and public relation initiatives. She has been the Chief Operating Officer at ViroStatics srl since 2007. In addition to her duties for ViroStatics, Ms. Petrocchi is also a member of the RIGHT (ViroStatics' parent Company) Board of Directors.