About

Catherine Pickering is Co-Founder and CEO of iOnctura, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicines for cancer and other challenging diseases.

Since co-founding iOnctura in 2017, Catherine has built the company into a lean, highly focused drug development organisation, bringing together an experienced team of scientists, medical professionals and business leaders. Under her leadership, iOnctura has raised more than €100 million in private financing, progressed its lead programme into late-stage clinical development, and expanded its pipeline through the in-licensing of an additional small-molecule programme against a key cancer target.

A scientist by training, Catherine combines deep oncology expertise with extensive experience in drug development, business development, financing and company building. She is driven by scientific curiosity and a lifelong commitment to cancer research, with a focus on translating innovative science into medicines that can deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for patients.

Prior to founding iOnctura, Catherine led global oncology and immuno-oncology licensing and business development at Merck KGaA and was a core member of its Global Oncology Franchise Leadership Team. During her tenure, she established a strong track record as a dealmaker, completing multiple strategic transactions and negotiating what was, at the time, the industry’s largest upfront payment for an out-licensing deal.

Catherine holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK and an MBA from Henley Business School.

Lars is the cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer of iOnctura, where he drives the company’s mission to deliver next-generation precision medicines for patients with cancer. A medicinal chemist by training with a PhD in chemistry, he brings over 20 years of experience in biopharma R&D, during which he has discovered and advanced multiple clinical candidates and lead compounds across oncology and other therapeutic areas.

As both a scientist and leader, Lars has navigated the full drug development spectrum—from early discovery through to commercialization—shaping strategies for small molecules and biologics alike. Prior to founding iOnctura, he held leadership and management positions at global pharmaceutical companies including Organon, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Merck, where he built a reputation for translating cutting-edge science into transformative therapies.

Michael joined iOnctura as Chief Medical Officer in 2019 after 20 years of industry experience at Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca and Incyte Corporation.

In his career Michael contributed to the development of several new molecular entities, such as small molecule inhibitors (including the ALK5 inhibitor galunisertib and the registration of osimertinib in NSCLC), large molecules, antisense oligonucleotides and vaccines. Michael is passionate about developing novel therapies in cancer and mentoring colleagues in clinical drug development.

Elizabeth Holt is the Chief Business Officer at iOnctura. She has 15+ years of strategic and operational experience in life sciences and healthcare with a track record of success. Prior to joining iOnctura, she co-founded Aiolos Bio Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to respiratory disease. The company was acquired by GSK in February 2024 for a total value of $1.4B.

Elizabeth played a key role in the strategy, fundraising and M&A activities at both Aiolos Bio and Gyroscope Therapeutics where she served as VP, Corporate Planning & Operations before it was acquired by Novartis for up to $1.5bn in 2022. Previously, Elizabeth was an Associate Partner with McKinsey & Company where she advised senior management in life sciences and healthcare on a range of strategy, organization, and M&A projects.

Elizabeth received an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College.

Steven is a seasoned finance executive with more than 15 years of corporate finance leadership and capital markets experience within the life sciences industry. He has played pivotal roles in scaling financial operations, raising over $400 million through private and public financings, and leading complex transactions.

Prior to joining iOnctura, Steven was most recently at Neurogene Inc., where he held various roles of increasing responsibility within the finance organization, culminating as Vice President of Finance.

Steven holds an MBA degree from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA degree in Finance & Economics from the George Washington University.

Michelle is a global commercial leader with more than two decades of experience in oncology and specialty pharmaceuticals, spanning early pipeline strategy through launch execution. She has held senior leadership roles at multiple global pharmaceutical companies, including leading world-wide commercial launches for multiple blockbuster brands in oncology for Novartis.

Michelle brings deep expertise in portfolio strategy, lifecycle planning, and cross-functional leadership, with a strong track record in maximizing asset value from pre-clinical through Phase III across multiple tumor types.

She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from UCSF and a BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.

Catherine Pickering is Co-Founder and CEO of iOnctura, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicines for cancer and other challenging diseases.

Since co-founding iOnctura in 2017, Catherine has built the company into a lean, highly focused drug development organisation, bringing together an experienced team of scientists, medical professionals and business leaders. Under her leadership, iOnctura has raised more than €100 million in private financing, progressed its lead programme into late-stage clinical development, and expanded its pipeline through the in-licensing of an additional small-molecule programme against a key cancer target.

A scientist by training, Catherine combines deep oncology expertise with extensive experience in drug development, business development, financing and company building. She is driven by scientific curiosity and a lifelong commitment to cancer research, with a focus on translating innovative science into medicines that can deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for patients.

Prior to founding iOnctura, Catherine led global oncology and immuno-oncology licensing and business development at Merck KGaA and was a core member of its Global Oncology Franchise Leadership Team. During her tenure, she established a strong track record as a dealmaker, completing multiple strategic transactions and negotiating what was, at the time, the industry’s largest upfront payment for an out-licensing deal.

Catherine holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK and an MBA from Henley Business School.

As well as serving as the Chair of iOnctura’s Board, Paul Sekhri is currently Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of vTv Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTVT), Independent Chair of Apnimed, Inc. (Nasdaq: APMD), Chair of Resolution Therapeutics, Executive Chairman of Violet Therapeutics and is a director of Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV). He was Chair of Longboard Pharmaceuticals until its $2.6 billion acquisition by Lundbeck in 2024. He is an Operating Partner at Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management and an advisor to Syncona Investment Management and Epidarex Capital.

He was previously President and CEO of eGenesis, Inc., and before this President and CEO of Lycera Corp. He served as Senior Vice President, Integrated Care, at Sanofi and, before that, Group Executive Vice President, Global Business Development and Chief Strategy Officer at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. Before Teva, he was Operating Partner and Head of the Biotechnology Operating Group at TPG Biotech, overseeing a portfolio of more than 50 life sciences companies. He was Founder, President and CEO of Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, President and Chief Business Officer of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, and earlier in his career spent five years at Novartis in global business development roles.

Thijs Cohen Tervaert is a Partner at Inkef and has been with Inkef since 2016.

Prior to Inkef, Thijs was a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group with a focus on health care and technology. Thijs worked on projects advising clients in the pharmaceutical industry, health insurers and large hospital systems. Thijs helped to establish the Amsterdam Health and Technology Institute in 2014.

Thijs is a medical doctor and graduated at Leiden University. He has also co-authored several scientific papers in the field of diabetes. Thijs currently also serves on the board of TargED BioPharmaceuticals, Calypso Biotech, Audion Therapeutics, ViCentra, Aidence and Castor.

Neil Gallagher M.D., Ph.D., was previously President of R&D at Syndax Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on developing first-in-class therapies in areas of significant unmet need. Prior to joining Syndax, he served as the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development at AbbVie where he guided a number of development programs resulting in approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Neil has also held senior roles at Amgen, Novartis, AstraZeneca and Astex Therapeutics. He holds Non-Executive Board positions at Foghorn Therapeutics and Zymeworks and is a board advisor to Nouscom.

Hakan Goker (Ph.D.) is a senior investment director at Merck Ventures, corporate venture arm of the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Hakan joined Merck Ventures in 2013 and previously was investing as a partner at Aescap Venture and prior to that at Atlas Venture.

Since 2006, Hakan was instrumental in the creation, financing, and strategy of multiple biotechnology companies globally including Asceneuron (CH), Orphazyme (DK), Nimbus Discovery (US), F Star (NL), Bicycle Therapeutics (UK) and Nitec now Horizon Pharma (CH/US). Hakan received his PhD in cancer biology from the Institute of Cancer Research/ University of London and continued his scientific career with post-doctoral work at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Centre/Royal Marsden Hospital.

He gained his BSc Honours, from University College London. Hakan is a board member of Asceneuron, Forendo Pharma, Raze Therapeutics, Tocopherx, Synaffix, and Storm Therapeutics.

Anthony Mancini has over three decades of commercial experience in biopharma. He is currently serving as Chief Global Commercialization Officer at Revolution Medicines, Inc., a late-stage clinical oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers.

Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer at Genmab, where he led the creation of the end-to-end organization and several successful launches in the US and Japan. He also spent over two decades at Bristol Myers Squibb, working across several therapeutic areas, including oncology.

Raghd Rostom, PhD, is an investor at Syncona, where she was closely involved in the foundation of Kesmalea Therapeutics and Yellowstone Biosciences, and remains engaged at board level.

Previously, Raghd was a core member of the healthcare practice at the Boston Consulting Group, with a particular focus on strategy and digital areas across Pharma, Biotech and Global Health sectors. Prior to BCG, Raghd completed a multidisciplinary PhD at the Wellcome Sanger Institute & University of Cambridge, bridging the fields of computational genomics, cancer and infectious disease.