Cristal Therapeutics announces appointment of Jeroen Tonnaer as Chief Business Officer
Maastricht, The Netherlands, 21 April 2015 – Cristal Therapeutics, a privately-held life sciences company developing novel nanotherapeutics against cancer and other diseases, by using its patented CriPec® platform announced today the appointment of Jeroen Tonnaer as new Chief Business Officer responsible for Cristal Therapeutics’ business development, partnering and licensing activities.
Jeroen obtained an MSc in biology, a PhD in pharmacology and is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP™). As an employee of major pharma companies, he built a broad knowledge and expertise in drug discovery & development and research strategy. He has extensive international and cross-cultural partnering & licensing expertise.
As a neuroscientist Jeroen joined Organon in 1982. He held further positions as Head DMPK, Executive Director Toxicology, and Executive Director Global Research Alliances. Subsequently he was Head Discovery Collaborations Europe for Schering-Plough. Following Schering-Plough’s acquisition by Merck & Co. (called MSD outside the US and Canada), Jeroen joined Merck’s Worldwide Licensing organization in February 2010 to become head of the European External Scientific Affairs team. Since then this team has been the driver in the identification and execution of several multimillion-$$ licensing and partnering deals.
“I am delighted to welcome Jeroen to Cristal Therapeutics and look forward to working with him,” remarked CEO Joost Holthuis. “Jeroen will strengthen our key existing business relationships and focus on finding, executing and fostering new partnering opportunities for Cristal Therapeutics.”
Recent financing round
In December 2014, Cristal Therapeutics completed a financing round of over €6 million which includes investments from new and existing investors and a national innovation fund. Venture capital investor Chemelot Ventures joins as a new shareholder and existing investors Thuja Capital, BioGeneration Ventures, Nedermaas, Utrecht University Holding and Beheer Innovatiefonds Provincie Limburg also contributed. The financing is used to launch the first clinical study of Cristal Therapeutics’ most advanced therapy, CriPec docetaxel, to be initiated in Q2 2015. If successful, this will enable chemotherapy to proceed more selectively and effectively, with fewer side effects.
