About us

Rusudan holds MSc in Immunology from Tbilisi State University (Georgia) and PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Biozentrum, University of Basel (Switzerland). She spent multiple years in the academic environment in the field of host-pathogen interaction, studying the role and molecular mechanisms of bacterial secreted proteins in establishing chronic infections.

Rusudan joined F. Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd in 2015 as a scientist in the Antibiotics group, Infectious Diseases department in Basel. She was engaged in supporting advanced antibiotics programs for clinical microbiology studies, being responsible for evaluating the mode of action and resistance development (in vitro & in vivo), as well as for global surveillance programs to assess the coverage spectrum of compounds in development.

Rusudan today is a Discovery Research Project Leader at Roche. She is working in several multidisciplinary research teams, leading external collaborations and internal portfolio projects.

Since 2019 Rusudan is part of the Roche Antibiotics Discovery Leadership Team, a board of scientists accountable for Roche Antibiotics Discovery group, strategy and portfolio.

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Why did you choose to join the INCATE program?

The rise in antimicrobial resistance and global spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria pose serious and growing threats to global health. We believe successfully tackling this threat requires coordinating actions and collaborating across the industry and academia. We have joined the INCATE program because we strongly believe in the objectives of INCATE, bringing together translational and basic research, industry, experienced entrepreneurs and investors from across Europe to accelerate innovation.

What is success for the INCATE program for you?

Roche drives innovation in healthcare by following the science in areas of high-unmet medical need where we feel we can make the most difference for patients with limited treatment options. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of these fields. Supporting INCATE, we actively play a role and shape the antibiotic ecosystem in Europe.

What are you hoping that your organization can bring to INCATE and the ventures chosen in the program?

We are uniquely placed to help counter the threat of AMR – investing in both diagnostic technologies and new antibiotic agents, as well as working with a range of partners to ensure there is a global response to this urgent threat. We are contributing to leading scientific collaborations, investing in industry partnership to fund clinical research and engaging with policymakers on new market models that will bring new diagnostics and treatments to patients that need them. We believe our experience and support will be beneficial for INCATE in selecting and growing transformative antibiotic projects.

What do you think is the most important need in the field of antibiotic development?

Developing new antibiotics is both a scientific and economic challenge. As scientists, we need to develop a deeper understanding of how to design and tailor molecules that can overcome the built-in defense mechanisms of drug-resistant bacteria and their ability to exchange and accumulate transferable DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes.

From an economic standpoint, developing and commercializing antibiotics is challenging due to various factors including the market landscape, the traditionally low prices, and the unpredictability of the demand in the near and long-term future. However, given the massive need for novel antibiotics around the world, they are clearly undervalued as life- saving medicines compared to other therapy areas. To address this challenge, Roche is supporting efforts that aim to ensure a sustainable pipeline of new antibiotics to fight drug-resistant infections.

Philipp studied Molecular Biology at the Biozentrum in Basel (Switzerland), holds a PhD in Biochemistry (2009) and has a long track record of working in translational immuno-oncology research, the infectious disease area as well as drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry.

Philipp spent multiple years of translational immuno-oncology research in an academic environment (studying, amongst others, targeted agents, ADCs, CPIs, cancer vaccines, bispecific T-cell engager, immuno-cytokines, CD40 and CD137 agonists), during which he built and managed an extensive, global collaboration network with academic, biotech and pharma partners as well as published in high ranking scientific journals. He joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2015 as a research team and project lead within the newly formed department of Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation in Biberach an der Riss, where he specifically engaged in integration of outside innovation into the BI discovery strategy.

During his time within Boehringer Ingelheim´s R&D Philipp was leading multidisciplinary research teams, successfully moving two cargo armed oncolytic virus-based projects into development. He effectively managed stakeholders including both internal and alliance governance bodies and delivered IO research strategy for innovative novel platforms and new areas of biology. Contributing to Boehringer Ingelheim´s external innovation strategy he further identified, evaluated, initiated and managed alliances with multiple external partners.

After joining the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund in 2020, Philipp serves as a board member of ImCheck Therapeutics in Marseilles and Asgard Therapeutics in Lund. In addition to contributing to the Venture Fund´s portfolio in the areas of immuno-oncology and immuno-modulation, Philipp engages in identifying cutting edge investment opportunities with groundbreaking therapeutic potential in the field of anti-infectives..

Hideki joined Shionogi & Co., Ltd., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, as a researcher in 1991, just after completing a Master’s program in molecular microbiology at Osaka University. For more than half a century, Shionogi has been active in the research and development of various unique antibiotics, represented by cefiderocol, moxalactam, and doripenem to name a few. During the 1990s, Hideki was mainly engaged in anti-MRSA research for target- and/or drug-discovery. In 2002, he was awarded with a Ph.D. for his research work on mode of action of natural antibiotics, hetero-resistance, and novel targets in MRSA.

Hideki worked as a guest researcher at Prof. Brigitte Berger-Bächi’s Laboratory, University of Zurich, Switzerland in 2003. He characterized one of the genes involved in glycopeptide-resistance, and published its mutations in clinical vancomycin intermediate-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) in US and Europe.

Since 2005, Hideki has been leading multidisciplinary teams as Section Manager/Director at Shionogi, in charge of more than 30 antibacterial and antifungal programs including drug-discovery, R&D, in-license, out-license, life cycle management of the marketed drugs, and global research collaborations with academia, startups, and companies including even outside the pharmaceutical industry. He has accumulated a wide range of expertise and know how necessary for drug development in dealing with natural compounds, small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, antibodies, bacterial phages, etc., as well as in establishing original in vitro and in vivo evaluation systems for anti-infectives in view of translational science

Sibyll studied Chemistry at University Marburg and Düsseldorf, holds a degree in chemistry (diploma,1995) and is working at MSD for 25 years with more than 15 years anti-infective experience.

Sibyll is responsible in her role as a Director Medical Affairs Infectious Disease (bacterial infections/antibiotics, HIV, COVID-19, CMV) for:

• Initiation and supervision of medical research projects (local non-interventional studies and investigator sponsored trials) including publications
• medical input to clinical studies of phases I-IV as well as analysis and classification of the data into a medical context
• medical writing and scientific advice on health technology assessment procedures and value dossiers
• close cross-functional cooperation with in-house departments and coordination of external stakeholder engagement
• Conception, organization and implementation of scientific symposia, medical education events and study meetings
• providing scientific information to external scientific experts and healthcare stakeholders
• strategic advice and consultation for the development of new anti-infectives from phaseI/II to market approval

Marc is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioVersys. He has over 10 years of experience in the biotech industry, having launched a university spin-off in the field of antimicrobial resistance and growing it into a multi-asset early clinical stage company. These assets address significant unmet medical needs in infectious disease such as tuberculosis and hospital acquired Acinetobacter infections. He has raised over $40 million in equity financing and established several important partnerships with a big pharma and other R&D organizations. Marc is a multi-award-winning Biotech CEO, having received amongst others the Swiss Technology Award 2011, Venture Kick 2009 and Venture Leaders 2008 and 2017 awards for his work in founding and advancing BioVersys. He is also vice-president of the board of the BEAM Alliance, a European association representing over 60 European and international SMEs active in antimicrobial research and development and board member of the AMR Industry Alliance. Marc is a thought leader in the field of antimicrobial research and development, passionate about next generation antimicrobial therapies. He leads a highly motivated team striving to bring life-saving antimicrobial therapies to patients. Marc is co-author on several high ranked scientific publications and patents in the field.

Prof. Dr. Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding graduated from Medical School at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, after studying abroad at Padova, Italy, and Mt. Sinai Medical School, NY, NY, USA. She holds a PhD equivalent in Immunology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany.  Prof. Dr. Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding joined the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut as Head of the Division of Microbiology in 2015. Her research and clinical focus is infectious diseases. Her comprehensive regulatory expertise includes microbiological safety of biomedicines, evaluation of preclinical studies in the field of infectious diseases, and vaccine development. In 2021, she was appointed Acting Director of the recently launched Center for Pandemic Vaccines and Therapeutics (ZEPAI)..

Dr. Jean-Pierre Paccaud is heading the business development and corporate strategy activities of GARDP since January 2017, and contributed to its inception and setup. Previously, he was heading the business development and legal team of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) since 2007, where he establish R&D partnerships with several global pharmaceutical companies as well as biotech and academic groups.

Prior to joining DNDi, Jean-Pierre founded in 2002 Athelas SA, a startup company active in the field of anti-bacterial drug discovery, which he lead until its merger with Merlion Pharmaceuticals in 2006.

Before taking on entrepreneurial challenges in the biotech environment, Jean-Pierre spent more than 18 years in academia, working in immunology, diabetes, and cell and molecular biology, and was tenured at the University of Geneva School of Medicine.

Trained as a molecular and cellular biologist, Jean-Pierre earned his PhD at the University of Geneva School of Medicine, and completed his post-doctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley in the laboratory of Prof. Randy Schekman.

GARDP is a global not-for-profit partnership developing new treatments for drug-resistant infections to address public health needs, enabling responsible use and equitable access for all in need.