Scenic Biotech, a leader in the groundbreaking world of genetic modifier drugs, has announced the appointment of Kristof Van Emelen, PhD, as Vice President of Drug Discovery. With 25+ years of experience in the pharma and biotech industries, Dr. Van Emelen will be leading the development of the company’s gene-based therapeutics that work to counteract the effects of severe diseases. Most recently, he has come from Ermium Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on auto-immune diseases. With Dr. Van Emelen’s expertise, Scenic Biotech is now one step closer to revolutionizing the way we treat serious illnesses.
Scenic Biotech is thrilled to have Kristof join its team as an experienced drug discovery and development expert. His impressive track-record of leading therapeutic platform validations makes him a tremendous asset to the organization. Kristof brings a wealth of knowledge from his past experience at large pharmaceutical and contract research organizations, which will be invaluable in optimizing and executing research and development strategies. Scenic Biotech is already off to a great start with four programs generated from its proprietary drug discovery platform and with Kristof on board, it will be exciting to watch them progress through preclinical evaluation.
I am thrilled to join the Scenic Biotech team to explore and develop novel, first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics that can disrupt the current treatment paradigm. Through its innovative platform, Scenic Biotech can identify undiscovered drug targets, which I am eager to leverage in order to develop treatments that can improve the lives of patients suffering from severe diseases.
Dr. Van Emelen is a seasoned biotechnology professional with over 25 years of experience across the entire drug development pathway. He joined Scenic Biotech as the Chief Scientific Officer after serving as the Head of Medicinal Chemistry for Ermium Therapeutics, a French biotech developing therapeutics to treat auto-immune diseases. In 2019, he was appointed entrepreneur-in-residence for the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and prior to that, served as Chief Operating Officer Product Development at preclinical CRO ProDigest. Dr. Van Emelen’s experience also extends to his time as Scientific Director-Emerging Sciences and Innovation, for The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. His research has resulted in a number of patent applications, scientific articles, and presentations. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry and a MSc from KU Leuven.
About Scenic Biotech
At Scenic Biotech, we are dedicated to unlocking the potential of the genome to improve health. Our innovative technologies and in-depth insights into disease pathways allow us to identify natural genetic modifiers that can compensate for mutations causing severe diseases. By combining these genetic modifiers with our small-molecule compounds, we are creating new therapeutic concepts that could provide relief to those in need. Our mission is to bring novel treatments to those suffering from serious illnesses and give them hope for a brighter future.