INCATE appoints first Chief Executive Officer to shape its future vision
INCATE set a defining milestone in its institutional journey with the appointment of Dr. Holger Zimmermann as its first Chief Executive Officer.
INCATE (INCubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe), the antimicrobial incubator supporting the advancement of early stage anti-infectives, announced a defining milestone in its institutional journey with the appointment of Dr. Holger Zimmermann as its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
“Our ambition to make a long-term impact with INCATE is reflected in the establishment of a CEO”, said Dr. Timo Jäger, INCATE Board Member and Managing Director of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). “Thanks to his expertise in management and strategic leadership, Holger Zimmermann will help INCATE strengthen its role as a reliable partner for industry partners and early-stage innovators working in AMR.”
Dr. Holger Zimmermann brings extensive experience in industrial research, biotechnology leadership, and innovation management. He began his industrial career as a laboratory head at Bayer. Moving on he was instrumental in building AiCuris, from its inception to a leading biotech company in the anti-infective space, serving for many years as Managing Director and CEO. His comprehensive expertise extends to R&D, from discovery for antivirals and antibacterials to clinical development and out-licensing, as well as strategic and organizational leadership. One of his most notable achievements as an inventor in the anti-infective field is the discovery and development of Letermovir, a life-saving antiviral therapy in transplant patients, now approved and successfully commercialized worldwide. For this work, he received the German Future Prize (Deutscher Zukunftspreis) in 2018.
“INCATE has achieved a lot in recent years and already has an exceptional foundation,” said Zimmermann. “What motivates me most is the chance to build on this success and take INCATE to the next level: aligning our direction, strengthening collaborations, and creating the conditions for great ideas and talented innovators to have even greater impact in the fight against AMR.”
About INCATE
INCATE is a not-for-profit partnership which brings together translational and basic research, industry, experienced entrepreneurs, and investors from across Europe and beyond. The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), the Leibniz:HKI (part of Leibniz Association) in Germany, the Swiss National Center of Competence in Research AntiResist, and the University of Basel are the academic founding members of INCATE, with the University of Basel acting as the host. Together with the four industry partners Basilea, Roche, Shionogi, and MSD, as well as other organizations, funders, and investors, INCATE wants to ensure that the pipeline of new antibiotics, antifungals, and technology platforms is filled and strengthened.
Source: INCATE press release
