Meet the Minds Behind the Mission
A dedicated team of experts driving the battle against cancer, fueled by a passion for innovation and a profound commitment to improve patient's care.
PEPKON TEAM
A PharmD and ESSEC graduate with expertise in pharma development and business strategy. He worked at Abbott, Roche, and Juvisé, focusing on M&A and market access, mainly in oncology. He then joined Truffle Capital as a VC analyst, contributing to biotech investments, company creations and portfolio support.
Professor at the University, Philippe Karoyan specializes in therapeutic peptides, conducting research at the interface of chemistry and biology. In 2013, he founded DRUGLab, bridging academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. His work led to major breakthroughs, including CD47/SIRPα-targeting peptides for selective tumor cell death and a peptide decoy blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, she gained expertise in preclinical research at CROs (CIT, MDS, Porsolt), serving as Study Director, Technical Operations Manager, and Animal Welfare & AAALAC Accreditation Manager. She then oversaw preclinical development at Alizé Pharma, a biotech specializing in cancer and type 2 diabetes therapeutics. In 2024, she joined Pepkon as a Preclinical Project Manager.
With a dual PhD from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and Sorbonne Université, he began researching cancer biology in 2017. At Sorbonne, he gained expertise in peptide design under Philippe Karoyan. In 2022, he joined PepKon and is now Scientific Project Manager.
With a master's in biochemistry and molecular biology, specializing in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy. Farah began her career at Institut Curie as a biochemist engineer, studying protein interactions in metastatic cell motility. She then worked as a consultant at Deloitte before joining PepKon as Project Manager in Strategy & Innovation.
With a Master’s degree in Molecular Genetics, Natasha gained experience at VIB, the University of Groningen, KU Leuven, and ICM as a Lab Manager or Research Assistant. A specialist in molecular and cellular biology applied to cancer, she is now a Research Engineer at PepKon, focusing on the cellular study of peptides.
Holder of a Master’s degree from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, he is pursuing a career as a biotechnology engineer. Xavier gained extensive expertise in 3D cell culture and stem cell differentiation, with a strong focus on flow cytometry analysis, during his time at Treefrog Therapeutics. Now a Research Engineer at Pepkon, he evaluates peptide potency and the synergy potential of therapeutic leads.
Chemical engineer specialized in analytical and biological chemistry (Chimie ParisTech), Olivia is pursuing a PhD (CIFRE) at PepKon and Sorbonne Université, focusing on optimizing PepKon's proprietary peptides. With expertise in peptide synthesis, purification, and analysis, she previously worked on therapeutic peptide development at X-Pharma.
Medical Doctor with a Master’s in Molecular and Cellular Biotherapies, Estefania is currently pursuing a Master’s in Management of Health Industries. As an apprenticeship student at PepKon, she contributes to the intersection of science and business. With international experience in Mexico, the U.S., and France, she brings a global perspective on medical needs and practices.
Consultants & advisors
With a PhD from the Faculté de Médecine de Paris, he has 30 years of experience in drug and cosmetic development. He led Cellpep/Ambrilia as CEO/CSO and was COO and CEO at Peptigroupe Inc. Now, as Preclinical Development Advisor at PepKon, he brings expertise in preclinical drug development
With 23 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, she has held key positions such as CDMO Site Director, Pharma Development Consultant, COO, and Auditor of pharma and lab sites. As the founder of Inits, she established a consultancy specializing in pharmaceutical development, offering expert guidance to biotech and pharma companies. Amel supports PepKon in the CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) domain.
A graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Montpellier, she held roles in pharmaceutical labs and CROs, managed a biotech portfolio for a private fund, and founded ILife Consulting, a European CRO. She supports PepKon’s clinical plan optimization.
With a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. in Physiology, he is a seasoned toxicologist and former President of the French Society of Toxicology. He has extensive CRO experience, contributed to drug and vaccine approvals, and chaired the Animal Ethics Committee. Since 2020, he is a Toxiclogy Expert.
She holds an MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a PhD in Immunology. After starting at Cabinet Plasseraud in Biotech, she co-founded ICOSA specializing in Biotech IP. As a European Patent Attorney, she manages patent portfolios and advises on IP strategy. Claire supports PepKon's IP strategy.
Board of directors
She is a PharmD and MBA graduate of HEC Paris with experience as a hospital pharmacist and in the pharma industry. She founded the APHP Technology Transfer Office, creating over 75 health startups. She co-founded SparingVision and raised €130M. Now, she chairs PepKon’s Executive Committee and advises on R&D strategy.
A Polytechnique and ENA graduate, he is an entrepreneur and investor with CEO experience at Vivendi. Since 2017, he has focused on biotechnology, founding companies and launching Sorbonne Ventures. He was PepKon’s Managing Director and now serves as Chairman.
Patrick Weil, a civil engineer and IAE Paris graduate, began his career in construction before founding the Prunay Group in 1993, specializing in insurance expertise. He led key successes, including the sales of Eurisk and Eurexo (to BlackFin). Now an entrepreneur and investor, he actively engages in biotech both operationally and financially.
Charles graduated from ENSAIA and the executive MBA program at INSEAD. He began his career as an engineer before becoming a strategy consultant. He joined Caravelle in 2016 as Director of Investments and is now a Managing Partner.
SAB, medical advisors
A leading hematologist with expertise in CLL and lymphomas, she led the Hematology Department at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital and contributed significantly to blood cancer research. Dr. Leblond, active in key hematology organizations, supports PepKon’s CLL work.
A hematologist and professor at the University of Paris-Saclay, he is a former Director of Research at Gustave Roussy and founded Inserm units on cell death and cancer. His CMML research has resulted in 350+ publications. Dr. Solary, a 2018 Raymond-Rosen Prize recipient, collaborates with PepKon on CMML.
She holds an MD and PhD and is Director of the CLL Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor at Harvard Medical School. Renowned for her research on CLL genomics, which has led to over 150 publications, she is a leading CLL expert and a sought-after international speaker.
He is a Senior Hematologist and Professor at the University of Toulouse, leading B-cell lymphoma studies and researching lymphoma immunotherapies and tumor resistance. A member of LYSA and FiLO-LLC, he collaborates with PepKon on CLL.