Interim Management
Pharma Consultancy
It is fascinating to be involved in drug development. I have been doing it myself for over 28 years.
If you’re also involved in drug development, you probably know what your end goal is, but maybe you’re unsure about the strategy, or you need someone else on your team, or you simply need a sounding board.
In all these cases you may have come to the right place! Please feel free to contact me and we will see together whether and how I can help you.
Sasso Pharma Consultancy
I have over 28 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. From start-up to scale-up, but always ‘boots on the ground’. Some were successful and some were not.
I founded 2 clinical CROs, grew them, and ultimately sold them to large multinational organizations. I have also founded a number of pharma-biotechs, both in the field of small molecules and biologicals. I have been involved with the science but also with all business aspects of these companies, and have been intensively involved in raising subsidies and first rounds of financing.
At this point, I am still actively involved with some of these companies.
I live in Groningen, a university city in the north of the Netherlands. I would still like to be actively involved in starting and small (bio)pharmaceutical companies in an interim management position or as a consultant. My approach is pragmatic and sometimes opportunistic, but always focused on the end goal.
About me
I am Herman Steen (1960), trained as a medical biologist at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands (1985). I obtained a PhD in pharmacology from the same university in 1992 in the field of molecular pharmacokinetics, mainly in liver. From 1992-1994 I held a postdoc and research fellow position at Sanguin, Amsterdam on factor VIII-von Willebrand Factor interactions that is of direct clinical significance in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with haemophilia A.
I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry at Altana Pharma (1994-1998), now Takeda, where I was mainly involved in managing clinical phase 2/3 programs with protonpump inhibitors in acid-related diseases and inhalation of PDE4 inhibitors and corticosteroids in asthma. In 1998 I was co-founder and CEO of PharmaScope, a clinical CRO based in Zaandam, The Netherlands. In 2005 PharmaScope was acquired by Quintiles US.
In the same year 2005 I co-founded and became CEO of PSR Group, a European clinical CRO that merged with Hyperphar in 2010 to form PSR Orphan Experts, an orphan disease clinical CRO. In 2017, PSR Orphan Experts was acquired by Ergomed plc.
In 2007 I was co-founder and CEO of BiOrion Technologies, a clinical stage biopharma company developing molecular diagnostics and targeted therapeutics for fibrosis and fibrotic cancers, with a focus on PDGF receptors. Unfortunately, BiOrion was heavily affected by delays caused during the COVID crisis and refinancing could not be arranged in time, eventually leading to liquidation of the company.
In 2009 I was co-founder and CEO of Nyken Therapeutics, a company developing small molecule heat shock protein inducers for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation or acute kidney injury. Nyken Therapeutics was acquired by Chaperone Pharma in 2017, that was founded in the same year.
In 2019 I co-founded Omnicin Therapeutics, a company developing an inhalation formulation for AMR drugs that combat chronic respiratory infections caused by resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At Omnicin I hold the position of CBO.
In 2023 I founded Cortalix, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceuticals company developing imaging diagnostics and targeted radiotherapeutics based on its proprietary single-domain antibody (nanobodies) platforms. Cortalix has a growing pipeline of selected nanobodies that are developed internally into the clinic or made available for licensing. Cortalix also screens and selects suitable nanobody candidates for specific target proteins of collaborating partner companies and, if desired, develop them into fully-fledged radiopharmaceuticals.
In 2024 I founded Affinimab, which is a preclinical CRO for antibody/nanobody diagnostic and therapeutic drug development services, ranging from panning and selection of new nanobody candidates to cloning, chemical and analytical services, including humanization, linkers, spacers, functional groups, and development of ELISAs and cell-based assays. For now, Affinimab is a business unit of Cortalix.
Contact
Sasso Pharma Consultancy
Innolab Chemistry, Innovation Center
Zernikelaan 8
9747AA Groningen
The Netherlands
If you would like to discuss the needs of your company with me and whether I can play a role in meeting those needs, please do not hesitate to contact me, preferably by sending an email to info@sassopharma.com or by completing the form below.
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