About Us
About Oncorena
Oncorena AB is a Swedish pharma company founded in 2011, in Helsingborg, with the mission to develop a breakthrough treatment for advanced kidney cancer (metastatic renal cancer) headquartered in Lund. Our objective is to confirm the powerful anti-tumor activity and other clinical benefits of orellanine in advanced kidney cancer patients.
Oncorena’s project was initiated with the support from Sweden’s Innovation Agency, VINNOVA, and Oncorena was managed by GU Ventures at the University of Gothenburg. In 2013, Aqilion (legacy Partners for Development Investments in Life Sciences, P.U.L.S. AB) became the principal owner. In 2016 HealthCap, a venture capital firm and one of the largest healthcare investors in Europe, invested in a rights use.
Looking ahead
The innovative aspect combined with the large unmet medical need are crucial factors for Oncorena moving forward. An efficient treatment for advanced kidney cancer is an urgent and major unmet clinical need – not only because of the poor survival – but also due to projected increase in incidence among the aging population and related healthcare costs.
Based on promising preclinical data, orellanine has the potential to provide superior clinical benefits over current treatment options.
If the results of the upcoming clinical trial program will be as encouraging as the powerful anti-tumor effects demonstrated in preclinical studies, orellanine has the potential to transform advanced kidney cancer from incurable to potentially curable, or to at least show significantly longer survival compared to current therapies.
Oncorena targets an orphan drug indication and the Company foresees a lean development which will strengthen the commercial potential of the project. Oncorena’s drug candidate orellanine has a great potential for market disruption.
Innovators
The pioneering research on orellanine was made by four innovators: Börje Haraldsson (research lead), Jenny Nyström, Ulf Nilsson and Lisa Buvall, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. With the help of GU Venture at the University of Gothenburg, they founded Oncorena AB to enable their innovation to reach patients.
Andreas Segerros
Chairman of the Board
Read more...
Biochemist by training and brings extensive commercial and business development experience from the global pharmaceutical corporations Pharmacia and Ferring where he has held executive positions in Europe, the US, and Japan. Previously, Venture Partner and Partner at Sunstone Capital in Denmark. Currently, Managing Partner and Board member of Eir Ventures Partners AB.
Björn Odlander
Board member
Read more...
MD, PhD, co-founder of HealthCap, Managing Partner since 1996. Previous experience includes leading ABB Aros Securities Health Care Equity Research Team. Extensive board experience from the life science sector including Q-Med AB, NicOx SA, Jerini AG, Nordic Nanovector ASA and BoneSupport AB.
Linus Wiebe
Board member
Read more...
M.Sc in Engineering Physics from Lund University with extensive investment and startup experience, both operationally and on board level. Currently partner in Fåhraeus Startup and Growth, privately held early stage investment fund. Previously 10+ years responsible for innovation, start-up and investment activities at Lund University, and 15+ in the tech and telecom industry with positions in, e.g. Ericsson and ARM.
Thomas Bergh
Board member
Read more...
MSc in Economics and Business from Stockholm School of Economics and brings extensive experience from corporate development in Life Science companies. Experience from executive positions in several Life Science focused investment companies. Currently CFO of Linc AB, a listed investment company focused on product-oriented Life Science companies, where he also is part of the investment team responsible for evaluating new investments as well as supporting existing portfolio companies. Previously he was responsible for the investment activities of MedCap AB and prior to that he worked with corporate finance advisory at Morgan Stanley and UBS Investment Bank in London and Stockholm.
Börje Haraldsson
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer
Read more...
MD, PhD, FASN, FAST, Professor Haraldsson has served for 15 years as Chair of nephrology at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and as senior consultant at the nephrology clinic at Sahlgrenska University hospital, Gothenburg. Most recently, he initiated and lead high-profile global drug development projects in nephrology, transplantation, and rheumatology at Novartis, Switzerland.
Pål Falck
Chief Business Officer
Read more...
MBA, PhD in Clinical Nephrology focused Pharmacokinetics. Pål Falck has a broad background within the life science sector including Nordic Medical Director in Oncology & Infections at AstraZeneca, Medical Advisor and Business Development at Pfizer Norway, Healthcare Equity Research Analyst at Arctic Securities in Norway.
Susanna Dahlgren
Project Director
Read more...
PhD in Clinical Immunology Karolinska Institute, PMP. Employed as Regional Director at SDS Lifescience in Lund. Susanna has a long experience in academic research and drug development from various positions in the lifescience industry including Astrazeneca, ALK, Polypeptide and Aqilion. Her main focus during the last 15 years has been project leadership from early drug discovery to clinical development and medical marketing.
Jack Welch
Chief Medical Officer
Read more...
MD, PhD in Pharmacology. Jack was fellowship trained in Paediatric Haematology-Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, then transitioned to adult cancer clinical trials as Senior Clinical Research Physician at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Senior Investigator at the US National Cancer Institute’s CTEP Office for over a decade.
Michael Atkins, M.D.
Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, US
Deputy Director & Professor. Acting Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC, US. More info
Petri Bono, M.D.
Terveystalo Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
MD, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Terveystalo, Finland and associate professor at University of Helsinki. More info
Bernard Escudier, M.D.
Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Paris, France
MD, Chairman of the Genitourinary Tumor Board at Gustave Roussy (2010-2015). More info
Viktor Grünwald, M.D.
University Hospital Essen in Essen, Germany
Professor for Interdisciplinary Genitourinary Oncology at the University Hospital Essen in Essen, Germany. More info
Michael Staehler, M.D., Ph.D.
Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Head Renal tumor unit, Maximiliam University, Munich, Germany. More info
Nizar M. Tannir, M.D., FACP
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US
MD, Professor, Deputy Department Chair, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine. More info
Martin Voss, M.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, US
Clinical Director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, US. More info
Relevant experience and expertise
Oncorena continues to build an organization with experience necessary skills as well as the broad and global experience required to successfully develop and commercialize the Company’s drug candidate for breakthrough treatment of kidney cancer.