About Us
Medibiofarma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2016 by a group of professionals with extensive experience in Drug Discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. We aim to generate innovative and high quality research programs based on the modulation of clinically validated therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer and non-cancer diseases.
Mission
To propel the development of disease-modifying therapies for patients with serious diseases where no treatment currently exists.
To design tailored small molecules for well-validated biological targets for new disease areas.
To provide extensively de-risked clinical assets for licensing by completing proof-of-concept trials in patients.
Vision
To make a real difference to the outlook for patients and their families
To become a reference European Biotechnology company with the capabilities to develop and bring to market desperately needed therapies in complex or untreated diseases
How do we achieve our vision
At Medibiofarma, we are:
- The Drug Discovery Process
- Virtual Drug Design
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Intellectual Property
- Project Management
- Clinical trials
- Business Development
- Raising Funds
All other activities for full characterization and development of compounds into clinical candidates, are carried out through established partnerships with contract research organizations, research centers and universities.
Leading scientists
Rodolfo Rodríguez Iglesias
Co-Founder, CEO & IP director
Rodolfo Rodríguez Iglesias is Chemical Engineer, Master in Science in Biotechnological Processes and Patent Technician.
He has 15 years of experience in industrial property and 8 years as a specialist in vaccine production.
With knowledge in the protection of inventions and strategies for the registration of intellectual property, drafting of patents, patent research, patentability studies, infringement studies, freedom to operate, procedures for processing and examining national and European patents, and international applications of patents, and in the biotechnological sector in fermentation, molecular biology, basic immunology, etc.
He is Co-founder and IP director of Medibiofarma.
Richard Roberts, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Richard holds a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, followed by a three-year post-doc at Imperial College, London.
He has 20 years’ experience in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. After a spell as Team Leader at Syngenta, UK, he moved to Almirall in Barcelona in 2002 as a Senior Medicinal Chemist. From 2008 he was Program Leader, discovering potent molecules related to asthma, cough and itch. He was also involved in a range of other activities, from open innovation and compound logistics to managing major collaborations.
Since 2016 he has been in the biotech sector, first as Director of Drug Discovery at Minoryx, a clinical-stage company focused on rare genetic disorders. He was then Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Kærtor Foundation, a pioneer incubator for early drug discovery in collaboration with industry.
He joined Medibiofarma as Chief Scientific Officer in 2020
Horacio Moreno, PhD
Director of Business Development
Horacio holds a degree in Biochemistry, and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Barcelona, with a postgraduate stage at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
He started his career in Business Development and Licensing at Almirall in 2002, and since then has held different positions of increasing responsibility in this area at Almirall, Gebro Pharma and Menarini, where he was regional head for BD for Spain and Latin America. He has also collaborated with several local biotech companies and research centres, including AVX Pharma, which was sold to Aerie Pharmaceuticals in a transaction closed in 2019.
He combines this professional activity in Business Development with teaching at the University for Biotechnology students (IQS, Institut Químic de Sarriá, URL).
Horacio joined Medibiofarma as Director of Business Development in October 2021.
Cristina Balagué, PhD
Director of Biology
Cristina holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. After a 7-year stay in USA working in advanced therapies for cancer (MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham) and monogenic diseases (Baxter Healthcare), she held positions of increasing responsibility in Almirall, Barcelona, accruing relevant experience in pharmacology of small molecule drugs in different therapeutic areas. As a Drug Discovery Program Leader and Head of New Programs, she led efforts to successfully feed the drug discovery and development pipelines, from new target proposals to candidate nominations and was also a member of clinical development teams which completed FIH and PoC studies.
She has held additional positions in the biotech/startup environment as Head of Disease Biology (Multiomic Health Ltd), CSO of Oncostellae and is a member of the Mentoring and Coaching Network of EIT Health.
Cristina joined Medibiofarma as Director of Biology in 2022
Luc Marti, PhD, MBM
Director of Clinical Development
Luc holds a degree in Biochemistry, a degree in Physiology, a PhD in Pharmacology from Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, and a Master in Biotechnology Management from the IE business school.
He has 25 years’ experience in basic and applied pharmacology, of which 18 years have been dedicated to drug development. He cofounded Genmedica Therapeutics developing an antidiabetic compound up to phase 2a. In 2013 he became COO and then senior VP R&D operations at Artax Biopharma where he supervised the development of an autoimmune modulator up to phase 1b. In 2016, as COO of Cebiotex, he managed the development, including preclinic, GMP and phase 1 of an implantable drug delivery system for patients with cancer.
He joined Medibiofarma as Director of Clinical Development in 2023