Topas Therapeutics GmbH (Topas), a Hamburg, Germany-based private platform company leveraging the natural tolerance induction capabilities of the liver, announced the appointment of Rupert Sandbrink, M.D., Ph.D., to the newly created position of Chief Development Officer and Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Dr. Sandbrink is a highly accomplished pharmaceutical executive with nearly twenty years of experience spanning all stages of clinical development, from first-in-human studies to product launches. In addition to clinical development, he has strong expertise in regulatory and medical affairs, as well as pharmacovigilance. Prior to joining Topas, Dr. Sandbrink was Executive Vice President, Multiple Sclerosis/Neurology & Immunology at Forward Pharma A/S and a member of Forward's Executive Management Team. Before that, he worked for many years at Bayer AG and Schering AG, which was acquired by Bayer in 2006. His last position at Bayer was vice president, Head Experimental Medicine Women's Health & Common Mechanism Research, and he previously served as Vice President, Head Global Clinical Development Neurology, Ophthalmology, Hematology, Immunology. At Bayer, Dr. Sandbrink led the clinical development programs for multiple small molecules and biologics, including Eylea(R), Betaferon(R), Lemtrada(R), and Kovaltry(R).
Dr. Sandbrink is a Board-certified clinical pharmacologist and received his medical degree from Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the IESE Business School and is also a lecturer and guest scientist at Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Department of Neurology. He is the author of more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific and review articles.
At Topas, Dr. Sandbrink will guide Topas' projects into the clinic, design and execute clinical development programs and trials and, in addition, lead the interactions with regulatory authorities. Dr. Sandbrink is a member of the Executive Management Team of Topas.
Timm Jessen, chief executive officer of Topas Therapeutics, said: "Rupert has a long and successful track record of bringing drugs and biologics through clinical development and regulatory approval. While at Bayer/Schering, he led global clinical development for a variety of programs and is well versed in trial development and in interacting with regulatory agencies. He also has experience in a variety of innovative therapeutic technologies, including gene therapy, cell therapy and nanotechnology. He brings the critical expertise and experience that will help us immensely as we advance and prepare to enter our first program into the clinic. I am very excited to have him join the Topas team."
Rupert Sandbrink, M.D., Ph.D., chief development officer and chief medical officer of Topas, commented: "I am excited to have the opportunity to join Topas as the Company prepares its first programs for clinical development. I am impressed with the Company's novel technology platform and also with the Board and its strategy to support the Company. I look forward to driving Topas' development efforts and advancing our exciting programs into and through the clinic and the regulatory process."