COMPANY
CIS BIOPHARMA is a biotechnology company dedicated to revolutionizing cancer treatment through novel targeted therapies. We are located in the area of Basel, Switzerland, a global hub for life sciences innovation. In our state-of-the-art laboratories, we pioneer groundbreaking technology to change the standard-of-care in oncology.
MEET OUR TEAM
The founders and the team at CIS BIOPHARMA are driven by professional expertise and intimate personal encounters with oncological pathologies.
Christoph brings over 25 years of experience in the Life Sciences industry as an executive and entrepreneur. He has a proven track record of driving product innovation and bringing pharma products to market. His career spans commercial roles at Novartis, Alcon and CIS Pharma, Christoph’s expertise lies in fostering high-performance cultures, driving product innovation and managing cross-functional teams which has resulted in significant advancements in ophthalmology. Now, as he builds and leads the team at CIS BIOPHARMA, Christoph is focused on developing an innovative cancer pipeline. His strategic vision and commitment to improving patient outcomes position CIS BIOPHARMA for continued success in oncology.
PhD, Co-founder,
Board of Directors
Kathrin
Locher-Schäfer
Kathrin is an experienced non-clinical safety expert, toxicologist, with a background in molecular biology, MSc, and virology, PhD. For over 15 years she has worked as a project toxicologist, study director, study monitor and outsourcing specialist in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry including Roche, Novartis and Amgen. She performed safety assessment and established non-clinical safety strategies of drug candidates across all stages of development, with a focus on oncology. Successful programs include Imlygic®, Imdelltra® and Lumakras®. For CIS BIOPHARMA, she applies her expertise in safety assessment and outsourcing of non-clinical safety studies to support the team in the early development of drug candidates.
MD, PhD, Board of Directors
Anders
Härfstrand
Anders is a distinguished executive leader with a robust history in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in commercial operations, global marketing, and product development. With 36 years of experience, he has successfully built billion-dollar franchises across the globe. Anders has served as an executive for Pfizer and Serono, highlighting his extensive experience and expertise in the pharmaceutical industry. He held multiple CEO positions, including at Nitec Pharma AG and Humabs Biomed SA, and has significant experience as a board member for various international companies. Fluent in multiple languages and with a strong educational background from the Karolinska Institutet, Anders continues to make a difference for patients by governing CIS BIOPHARMA on the board level.
MBA, des. Chief Financial Officer
Andrea
Buscaglia
Andrea is a former investment banker, UBS, Deutsche Bank, with 24-year corporate finance experience in the Life Sciences industry. He has held senior positions in companies such as Serono, Nitec Pharma (now Amgen), Endosense (now Abbott), MMV, and Mundipharma, including a total of 15 years as CFO. He has been involved in the origination and execution of Equity Capital Markets transactions, M&A deals, as well as in the closing of rounds of financing and “exits” for venture-backed startup companies. His extensive financial and investor relations knowledge and expertise in the Life Sciences industry will be instrumental in advancing CIS BIOPHARMA vision to develop innovative cancer therapies.
Ruggero is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology supplemented by a PhD in Immunology, with deep expertise in Clinical Oncology. With over 30 years of experience, he has held several high-level positions including Global Head of Oncology, Hematology, Cancer Immunotherapy at Roche-Genentech, Head of Oncology at Merck-Serono and CMO at Piqur Therapeutics and Precirix. His expertise in drug development is reflected in the development and registration of Avastin®, Erbitux®, Gyzyva® and Tecentriq® and the development of several oncology drugs across multiple therapeutic platforms such as small molecules, biologics, cell therapies, cancer vaccines and radioligands. Ruggero’s strategic and operational capabilities, combined with his roles in R&D and medical affairs, make him a pivotal figure in advancing the therapeutic innovations at CIS BIOPHARMA.
Dominik is a recognized expert in protein engineering of various biologics including antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, ADCs, and gene vectors. With over 12 years in the biotech field, Dominik has notably contributed to advanced drug development projects, particularly focusing on oncology and pulmonary diseases. His career includes significant roles in Biotech leading gene vector development and large Pharma e.g. Roche Pharmaceutical, where he developed new ADCs and high-throughput analysis methods for large molecules. As a recognized leader in the industry, Dominik has a strong publication and patent record. He is known for his dynamic leadership and strategic company development within the Biotech sector that will contribute to CIS BIOPHARMA’s successful journey.
Michael leads the development of antibody-drug conjugates, ADCs, and nanobody-drug conjugates, NDCs, at CIS BIOPHARMA. He is responsible for establishing and optimizing bioconjugation, syntheses and analytical methods, as well as managing the high containment laboratory and the equipment park. Holding a degree in chemistry and boasting 15 years of experience in the chemical industry, Michael specializes in organic chemistry. His expertise extends to developing linker/drug technologies. His skills in analytical chemistry and structure determination, along with his experience in scaling processes from pilot to production, make him a vital asset to our team at CIS BIOPHARMA.
MSc Pharm., Scientist,
Drug Development
Franziska
Strütt
Franziska plays a pivotal role at CIS BIOPHARMA, leading critical aspects in the high containment laboratory, driving the bioconjugation of antibody-drug conjugates, ADCs, and nanobody-drug conjugates, NDCs. She is overseeing validation, quality control, stability testing, and analytical studies, along with spearheading assay development. Franziska’s expertise in synthesizing ADCs and NDCs under stringent safety protocols complements her robust analysis of scientific data. Her academic background in Pharmaceutical Sciences furnishes her with dual expertise in pharmacology and molecular biology. Additionally, Franziska ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and internal quality standards, making her an integral part of the research and development team.
PhD, Chief Scientific Officer,
Head Research
Christian
Geraths
Christian is a seasoned expert in the development of antibody-drug conjugates, ADCs, for solid tumors, proficient with both radioactive and non-radioactive payloads, His extensive knowledge in protein engineering, drug delivery systems, and bio-hybrid materials was honed through significant roles at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Center for Biological Signaling Studies, BIOSS. His expertise extends to protein analysis, cell culture models, and transcriptional regulators, positioning him as a pivotal figure in pioneering innovative therapies. As the leader of the research department at CIS BIOPHARMA, his deep understanding of drug conjugates and linker/ drug technology is vital for driving the company’s success.
PhD, Scientist,
Head Chemistry
Daniela
Winkler
Daniela heads the chemistry department at CIS BIOPHARMA, specializing in the synthesis of linker chemistry for targeted therapies. With a robust background in inorganic and bio-inorganic chemistry, her expertise in chemistry plays a key role in enhancing the company’s linker and drug platform. Daniela’s focus is centered on advancing linker technology by synthesizing linker building blocks and developing analytical methods to ensure the quality of these innovative systems. Her contributions are instrumental in driving forward CIS BIOPHARMA’s mission to advance its linker and drug platform.
PhD, Professor ETH Zurich
Advisor
Roger
Schibli
Roger is a distinguished scientist in the field of radiopharmaceutical chemistry and molecular imaging. He holds a professorship at ETH Zurich, where he leads a research group dedicated to the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in oncology. Rogers received his PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Basel, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His work focuses on the design and synthesis of radiolabeled compounds that can be used to visualize and treat cancer. His research aims to improve the specificity and efficacy of cancer diagnostics and therapies by developing new molecular probes and therapeutic agents. His expertise in radiopharmaceutical chemistry has earned him numerous accolades, including prestigious grants and awards.
Our Vision
Help cancer patients live longer and better lives.
Our Mission
Unleashing the power of targeted therapies.
Our Values
Excellence, innovation, collaboration.
Dedicated to patients and clinicians.
Driven by Science and Innovation.
Quality you expect from Swiss made.
LEGACY
1950 - 1975
FOUNDERS – From penicillin to a moonshot
CIS BIOPHARMA was started by Lieselotte and Werner Schäfer back in 1952. They set up a small chemistry lab in Basel, laying the groundwork for what we know as CIS BIOPHARMA. Before this, Werner worked at Hoechst (now Sanofi), where he played a key role in synthesizing penicillin. Werner’s work in surface-active compounds led to well-known products like the laundry detergent REI, establishing him as a leader in the surfactant industry. His surfactants had many advanced uses, including his literal moonshot: On the mission in 1969, NASA utilized Werner’s technology to protect the electronic parts of the lunar landing shuttle. In 1973, Werner incorporated “Chemisches Institut Schäfer AG”, the name from which we derive the «CIS» acronym used in CIS BIOPHARMA.
1975 - 2000
GEN2 – Contract manufacturing of pharmaceuticals
The second generation, Doris Schäfer, her partner Hans Hitz, and her brother Rolf Schäfer, joined Werner in the business after their academic careers at Max-Planck, Rockefeller, and Salk Institute. The initial focus was contract research, later CIS Pharma licensed technology to major pharmaceutical companies, including Alcon. This period saw the development of one of CIS Pharma’s core strengths: medicinal chemistry, encompassing the synthesis and scale-up of small molecules and peptides. In 1983, Amcis AG was spun off from CIS Pharma, operating as the contract manufacturing organization for Alcon. The collaboration with Alcon significantly boosted the groups’ growth, leading to the expansion of its facilities to the current Campus in Bubendorf in 1987.
2000 - Today
GEN3 – Drug development in ophthalmology and oncology
The third generation, Kathrin Schäfer-Locher and Christoph Schäfer bring a wealth of experience from big pharma companies like Novartis, Roche, Amgen, and Alcon. They take a strategic pivot focusing CIS Pharma business on drug development. In 2000, following the divestiture of Amcis, the company reallocated its resources to develop proprietary technology. Novel eye care products were successfully developed and licensed out to market leaders in ophthalmology. In 2018 the first technologies were developed for novel cancer care, in 2023 CIS BIOPHARMA was spun off. These strategic moves demonstrate CIS BIOPHARMA’s evolution from a traditional pharmaceutical company to an innovation-driven enterprise, expanding into the therapeutic area of oncology.
