SCHLIEREN, Switzerland– LimmaTech Biologics AG, a clinical-stage biotech company developing vaccines for the prevention of life-threatening diseases, today announced the appointment of experienced biotechnology leader Franz-Werner Haas, LL.D., as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Haas joins LimmaTech after 11 years as an executive at CureVac SE, where he most recently served as CEO following his tenures as Chief Corporate Officer and Chief Operating Officer. With a remarkable career spanning over 20 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Haas joins a highly experienced team of vaccine technology pioneers at LimmaTech and will work together with them to accelerate the company’s development as it advances a growing pipeline of novel antibacterial vaccines designed to save lives and protect against antimicrobial drug resistance.
“The LimmaTech team has developed two robust vaccine technologies, the first acquired by GSK in 2015 and the second resulting in LimmaTech’s current clinical and pre-clinical pipeline of vaccines to protect against bacterial infections. Building on the recent in-licensing from GSK of the jointly-developed Phase I/II Shigella program, LimmaTech is poised to achieve several important near-term milestones,” commented Franz-Werner Haas, LL.D., CEO of LimmaTech. “Drawing from my past experience in growing organizations with new technologies addressing significant medical needs, I look forward to working together with the LimmaTech team to further develop the company, enhance its unique capabilities in complex carbohydrate engineering for antibacterial vaccines and bring our lead vaccine program toward the market.”
“Franz’s appointment strategically aligns with our current growth trajectory and validates LimmaTech’s achievements in the development of an innovative antibacterial vaccine pipeline,” said Philippe Dro, Co-Founder and Chairman of LimmaTech’s Board of Directors. “His experience, particularly on the frontline of vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, makes him an excellent fit for LimmaTech. With Franz expanding our leadership team, we’ve reinforced our commitment to translating our innovative scientific concepts into life-saving vaccines.”
Dr. Franz-Werner Haas joins LimmaTech with significant experience as an executive at leading biotechnology companies. In 2012, he joined CureVac SE as Chief Corporate Officer and continued his leadership at CureVac as Chief Operating Officer and finally, CEO. Before Dr. Haas joined CureVac, he held the position of Vice President Operations and Chief Compliance Officer of SYGNIS Pharma AG, where he was responsible for the execution of M&A and capital market transactions. Previously, Dr. Haas held several management positions in the life sciences industry, including Vice President and General Counsel of LION Bioscience and General Counsel of Sirona Dental Systems. He holds a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree and studied at the University of Saarbruecken, Catholic University of Leuven, and the University of Edinburgh.
