People
Management
Mikael Lindstam
CEO & Boardmember
Dr Lindstam has been involved in start-up operations and development programs that have generated investments in more than 30 million EUR from business, private and public capital. Dr Lindstam has been involved in and developed Cyxone AB, Galecto Biotech AB, Gabather AB and Serstech AB, as well as carried out a number of license deals and IP-sales in private and Governmental organisations. He is also Founding Partner in Accequa investment fund which focuses on early stage business development of start-up biotech’s, managing holdings, patent and license portfolio. Dr Lindstam holds a PhD in inorganic chemistry as well as further education within marketing, entrepreneurship and resource management.
Anders Bylock
CMO & Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board
Associate Professor and licensed physician Bylock is a well-known expert in the field of cardiovascular development within pre-clinical and clinical studies as well as regulatory applications. Associate Professor Bylock specialised in thoracic surgery at Uppsala University Hospital and has since then had an international career in cardiovascular research and development in Europe and the USA. He began working in the pharmaceuticals industry as Director of Clinical Research at MSD Sweden, but over the past 17 years has held several positions at AstraZeneca, such as Director for the Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Drug Safety Departments. During the years 2011 – 2016, Dr. Bylock was Senior Global Director of the department of Global Clinical Development & Medical Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH & Co KG in Germany, where he served as the medical director of a large number of cardiovascular projects in various stages.
Ola Skanung
CFO
Ola Skanung holds a B Sc in Business administration and Entrpreneurship and additional exams in financial law and change mangement. He has many years of experience as CFO and has worked with start-ups and growth projects within the private sector as well as state actors and regional development.
Luiza Jedlina
CSO
As a former project leader in the Forskarpatent Fund, Luiza Jedlina was a key person in establishing the study that indicated the proposed drug candidates and the path for developing a commercial therapeutic product. In addition to her three years as a biotech consultant, Jedlina has 15 years of experience within cell biology, immunology, haematology, epidemiology and biochemistry, as well as in development of vaccines against parasites. She has worked as a visiting researcher and coordinator in several EU-funded research projects and has developed new methods for experimental and analytical biochemistry. She is also a co-inventor to two patents. Jedlina holds a PhD in molecular parasitology and immunology and a MSc in toxicology.
Ulf Björklund
COO
Ulf Björklund has more than 30 years of experience working in drug development for both large and small companies. From 1983 to 2002, Björklund worked primarily with clinical research at Kabi Pharmacia AB / Pharmacia & Upjohn / Pharmacia, where he held various management positions. From 2002 to 2010, he was CEO of OxyPharma AB and between 2010 and 2016, CEO of Aprea AB. Today, Björklund runs his own consulting company with a focus on drug development and project management in Life Science. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Lipum AB, and board member at MedicaNatumin AB and TikoMed AB. Björklund holds a MSc in Pharmacy from Uppsala University.
Suzanne Kilany
Clinical Research Director
Suzanne Kilany is a registered oncology nurse and has worked at Sahlgrenska University Hospital for many years. She has also over 30 years of experience from the pharma industry, where she has gained comprehensive knowledge and understanding of clinical trial research and processes across a broad range of different therapeutic areas. She has been responsible for Clinical Operations teams within the pharma industry and CROs (Clinical Research Organizations) and has managed projects across regions; Europe, Russia and the US. For the last 6 years Suzanne Kilany is a member of the Board of the Swedish Society for Clinical Trials (Swedish Pharmaceutical Society) and also part of the editorial staff and responsible for the member magazine, Prövningen. Suzanne Kilany runs her own consultancy business focusing on project management of clinical development. At Aptahem she will lead and coordinate the planning and preparation work for the clinical phase I program of Apta-1.
Thomas Rupp
Aptamer Expert
Thomas Rupp is a trained chemist and has worked with oligonucleotide manufacturing for more than 30 years, including development of “state-of-the-art” manufacturing processes for oligonucleotides. Rupp has a background as global application specialist at among others GE Healthcare, but is since 2013 offering independent consulting services in the field of therapeutic Nucleic Acids, hosts technical workshops on oligonucleotide manufacturing, assists with facility design for large scale GMP manufacturing and with process development and trouble shooting. Additionally, Rupp is a globally operating Subject Matter Expert (SME) for oligonucleotide manufacturing and is acknowledged as a “Global Pharma Key Opinion Leader” at Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).
Vera Casslén
Senior Scientist
Dr Vera Casslén has long experience as biomedical scientist. All her work has confined to translational research in preclinical stage with biomarker discovery, drug discovery, or early drug development. In 2002, Dr Casslén finished her PhD thesis with the title “Molecular and cellular mechanisms of tumor cell resistance to cytotoxic drugs”. After gaining international experience and scientific training in USA, Switzerland and the UK, Dr Casslén joined the Medical faculty at Lund University. In 2011 she left academia for work with start-up and small biotech companies. Joining Aptahem in 2019 as Senior Scientist, Dr Casslén supports the CSO with strategic and operative scientific work.
Oldriska Chutna Olin
Project Scientist
Oldriska Chutna Olin has several years of experience as a researcher in the field of biomedical science, specifically in neuroscience, cell and molecular biology. As a PhD student and scientist, she has been involved in several research projects both in Portugal and Sweden. As a former member of Wallenberg Neuroscience Center at Lund University Chutna Olin was offered and pursued a biotech industry career. She holds a MSc in Human Molecular Biology from Faculdade de Ciências at Lisbon University. At Aptahem, Chutna Olin is responsible for theoretical and experimental work as a Project Scientist adding support to the CSO.
Erika Medin
Programme Coordinator & Communication Specialist
Erika Medin has more than 20 years of experience from research-focused companies within the pharmaceutical industry, including Perstorp Pharma and AstraDraco/AstraZeneca. Over the years, Erika Medin has had various positions within administration, communication and project management. She has a BA from Lund University and a communications diploma from IHM Business School. Erika Medin runs her own consultancy business specializing in project management and communications with a focus on small research companies in Life Science.
Jessica Henning
Office Manager
Jessica has over 20 years of experience in service, and many years in administration. She has a diploma in administration/HR.
At Aptahem, Jessica is responsible for office management.
Anja Broeders
QA Consultant
Anja Broeders is a Senior Quality Advisor with more than 26 years of experience from the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device lndustry, with focus the last 16 years on quality assurance, e.g. internal and external audits, quality advice to R&D functions and global projects, and small and mid-size Pharmaceutical, Health Care and Technology companies. Significant experience from hosting regulatory inspections, including FDA. She has extensive knowledge in GLP, GMP, GCP, and 150-13485 and other related standards. Anja Broeders holds a BSc. In Chemistry from the University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands.
Dennis Bang Henriksen
CMC Expert
Dennis Bang Henriksen has more than twenty years of experience in pharmaceutical biotechnology R&D project management, business development, senior management and strategic planning. Dr Henriksen has worked in program management in all stages of drug and in-vitro diagnostic development from idea to outsourcing activities for API, IMP, quality management, non-clinical development and in-person involvement in clinical study design, execution, analysis and reporting. He holds a PhD in Bioorganic chemistry from the university of Copenhagen, Denmark, and a MSc in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Denmark.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bert Junno
Chairman of the Board
Dr Junno has previous management and board level experience from several European and US based companies in fields of electronics, biotech and IT. He has also co-founded several life science companies, for example WntResearch AB (publ), Galecto Biotech AB, Gabather AB (publ), Aptahem AB (publ) and Cyxone AB (publ). He is also the Chairman of the Board of Cyxone AB (publ) and CombiGene AB (publ) and board member of Accequa AB and Accequa GmbH. Dr Junno holds a Ph.D. in Semiconductor Physics and Technology and a M.Sc. in Physics from Lund University. Dr Junno does not hold any shares in Aptahem.
Theresa Comiskey Olsen
Board Member
Theresa Comiskey Olsen, Attorney at Law (USA), is a Partner at Nova Law Firm in Oslo, Norway. Before joining Nova, Comiskey Olsen was a partner at Langseth Law Firm since January 2016 after starting her own practice with focus on legal transactions in the Life Sciences/Biotech field. Prior to starting her practice in 2008, she was General Counsel of Nycomed, which has since been acquired by Takeda. Comiskey Olsen continues to grow her practice at Nova with focus on legal transactions in the Life Sciences/Biotech field. She has her B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Cristina Glad
BOARD MEMBER
Dr Glad has more than 25 years of experience in research and business development in biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. She has worked on projects that include the development of anti-body drugs and their production processes. Dr Glad has also been involved in research and development collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and the in-licensing and out-licensing of projects. In her role as CEO and Vice President of BioInvent International AB, she was involved in developing the company. Since December 2013, she has worked as a consultant in her own company. Dr Glad is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) and holds a PhD in biochemistry and an E*MBA.
Johan Lindh
BOARD MEMBER
With over 20 years in academia, Johan Lindh has worked as a molecular biologist and has held several positions in parasitology at the Infectious Diseases Institute (SMI) / Karolinska Institute. Identification and early indications of the anticoagulant properties of Aptahem’s drug candidate, and subsequent collaboration with Lund University, resulted in a patent application which forms the basis for drug development at Aptahem. Since January 2014, Johan Lindh has been an associate professor of microbiology at the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Uppsala University.
