Hookipa Biotech AG, a company pioneering a new class of immunotherapies and vaccines, today announces the appointment of Torsten Mummenbrauer, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President (SVP) Business Development & Licensing. The appointment is effective October 1, 2016.
Dr Mummenbrauer brings almost 20 years of business development experience in the life science industry, including more than 10 years in vaccines. Previously, he was Senior Director Business Development at Morphosys AG in Munich, Germany, and held various business development roles with increasing responsibility at GSK Vaccines. His most senior position in GSK was Global Head of the Vaccines Transactions Team based in Brussels, Belgium, with responsibility for global vaccine business development activities ranging from collaborations, option and licensing contracts to mergers & acquisitions.
During the 2009 influenza pandemic he led all of GSK’s BD related influenza pandemic preparedness activities. Prior to his 12 years at GSK, Dr. Mummenbrauer was Patent & Licensing Manager at the Technology Transfer office of the Max-Planck-Society, Munich, Germany. Dr Mummenbrauer holds a PhD in tumor virology from the Heinrich-Pette Institute, Leibniz-Institute for Experimental Virology in Hamburg, Germany.
Commenting on the appointment, Hookipa’s CEO, Mr Aldag said: “I’m very pleased to welcome a biotech and pharmaceutical executive with Torsten's strong business development accomplishments in the areas of vaccines and biotech product development. With broad operational expertise with both biotech and big pharma companies, Torsten will add valuable product development, strategic partnering and deal making skills to the Hookipa team at a very exciting time of its development.”
Hookipa’s lead programme, HB-101 against Cytomegalovirus, started a Phase I trial in Q3 2016 and its Human Papillomavirus immunotherapy candidate is now entering preclinical testing.
Dr Mummenbrauer said: “Hookipa is working on areas with high unmet need and has a powerful technology platform. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joern and his team to help develop novel approaches to combat infectious diseases and cancer and to helping to develop IP and the partnerships needed to bring these new medicines to patients.”