We, at MetaShape Pharma, take your privacy seriously. We are a pre-clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative drugs for white fat-related diseases. Our team is deeply immersed in the field of pharmacology, with a wealth of experience in medicine and PNP inhibitors. We understand the complex challenges patients face when dealing with these diseases, and we are committed to creating differentiated treatments that can help improve their lives.
With our extensive knowledge of pharmacology and our innovative approach to the treatment of high-prevalence diseases, we are exploring new pathways to create drugs with the potential to make a meaningful impact. Our team is united by a shared passion to work towards a goal that is bigger than ourselves, and we are driven to study and deliver medicines that can offer significant benefits to those living with fat-related diseases. Whether it’s obesity, liver disease, chronic inflammation, or other related conditions, our ultimate aim is to provide effective treatments that can make a difference in the lives of our patients.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect about you, why we collect the information, as well as how we collect and use the information so that we can ensure your best interest.
This Privacy Policy is intended for individuals in Switzerland and the European Union. If you live outside of these regions and choose to use the Sites connected with this Privacy Policy, you do so at your own risk and understand that your information will be sent to and stored in Switzerland. By using any of our websites that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, “Sites”) or otherwise providing Personal Information to us, you agree to this Privacy Policy. Note that there may be other websites that reference the metaShape Pharma name and title but may be subject to a different privacy policy.
Personal Information We Collect
“Personal Information” generally means any information that can reasonably identify you as an individual, and any other information we associate with it. We collect these categories of information, from the following sources:
A. When you apply and request information for our products and development plans “Request our one-pager”.
B. When you apply and request a scheduled meeting/call “Schedule a call”.
C. When you contact us via email, phone or mail.
We may use Personal Information as permitted by law, for the following business purposes:
We may also use Personal Information as we believe to be necessary or appropriate for certain essential purposes, including:
Our Sites may integrate third party video streaming services offered by certain partners, where indicated, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Daily Motion etc. Please be aware that we do not control the content or privacy practices of such streaming services and you should be aware that such third party functionality may be subject to the privacy statements of such parties.
The Sites may also link to third party websites, mobile applications, and other online services or platforms. These links are provided for your convenience only. We have no control over such third parties and are not responsible for the content, availability, or security of third parties. Third parties may use your information for their own purposes, including behavioral or advertising purposes. If you decide to access any of the third party links available on the Sites, or if you provide Personal Information through these third party sites, app, or platforms, you do so subject to the privacy policies and terms and conditions of use of the owner or operator, and not this Privacy Policy.
We will retain your Personal Information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by for legal, auditing, or compliance purposes.
We use standard physical, technical and administrative measures designed to reduce the risk of loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure or modification of your Personal Information. Unfortunately, no system or network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure (for example, if you feel that the security of any account you might have with us has been compromised), please immediately notify us through the “Contact” tab (note that physical mail notification will delay the time it takes for us to respond to the problem).
How you can access or delete your Personal Information
To request a copy of Personal Information we have collected about you, or to request that your information be deleted, please contact us at ir@metashapepharma.com.
This website may place and access certain cookies on your computer, metaShape Pharma uses cookies to improve your experience of using the website. We have carefully chosen these cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy is protected and respected at all times.
Strictly necessary cookies
These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services.
Analytical/performance cookies
They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
Functionality cookies
These are used to recognise you when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).
Third party cookies
Some of the website’s functionality is implemented by our partners on our behalf. These partners have integrated their services into our website to provide you with the best experience possible, and might use cookies in order to do so.
Test cookies
From time to time we test new features and make subtle changes to the way that the site is delivered. When we are still testing new features these cookies may be used to ensure that you receive a consistent experience whilst on the site whilst ensuring we understand which optimisations our users appreciate the most.
You can choose to enable or disable cookies in your internet browser. By default, most internet browsers accept cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu of your internet browser.
You can choose to delete cookies at any time; however you may lose any information that enables you to access the website more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, personalisation settings.
It is recommended that you ensure that your internet browser is up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.
1.Data which we collect from you may be stored and processed in and transferred to our sub-contractor servers which are currently located in Switzerland.
2.In the future, if for any reason your data is transferred outside of Switzerland due to a relocation of servers or for legally binding purposes, we will take steps with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this privacy policy and according to the EU-Swiss law.
We reserve the right to change this privacy policy as we may deem necessary from time to time or as may be required by law. Any changes will be immediately posted on the website and you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the privacy policy on your first use of the website following the alterations.
Dieter Hemmer is a seasoned executive with 40 years of experience spanning pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and global consumer industries. Before joining MetaShape Pharma, he served as CEO of SynDermix AG (2017–2021), a Swiss developer of innovative health technologies in the biotech, pharma, and MedTech industries. Mr. Hemmer spent the majority of his career as a senior executive at Nestlé, first as Senior Vice President and Head of the Strategic Business Unit for Food Services (1998–2006) and Chairman of the Nestlé Pro Gastronomia Foundation (1999–2014), and later as Senior Vice President of Global Branded Food at Nestlé Professional (2008–2014). Prior to Nestlé, he spent 22 years in senior executive roles at Lufthansa, including Head of Global Inflight Service and Managing Director for Lufthansa Service (LSG) Asia. Mr. Hemmer holds a BSc in Economics from FHS Heidelberg and has completed postgraduate programs in management at INSEAD, London Business School, and IMD.
Vincenzo Sorrentino is an Italian-born scientist in the fields of aging, mitochondrial biology and neuromuscular degeneration. He obtained his PhD Cum Laude at the University of Amsterdam, in the lab of Prof. Noam Zelcer, on LDL-cholesterol regulation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, with publications including in European Heart Journal and Circulation Research. Subsequently, he moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, for his postdoctoral research in Prof. Johan Auwerx’s lab at the EPFL. His work there focused on the understanding of mitochondria and NAD+ metabolism in neurodegeneration and muscle aging, with his research discoveries on Alzheimer’s disease and muscle aging published in Nature (2017) and Cell Reports (2021). He then obtained a position as Group Leader at the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences in Lausanne, to lead research focused on integrating basic discoveries on nutraceuticals and their effects on mitochondria and protein homeostasis with their translation into novel clinical applications. Since December 2022, he is an Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Health Longevity Translational Research Program, University of Singapore, to continue to develop his research on how metabolism, nutrition and proteostasis are linked and impact on health and aging.
Dr. Eduardo N. Chini, MD, PhD, is Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic. His research focus is in the fields of metabolism, nutrition, obesity, pharmacology, cancer and aging, and kidney disease. In particular, Dr. Chini is interested in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism and functions. He and his colleagues are exploring the nonoxidative and oxidative roles of NAD (as a signaling molecule and energy coin in cells). Dr. Chini’s laboratory has done seminal work on NAD catabolism, including the description of the main enzyme responsible for the degradation of this molecule in mammalian tissues.
Caius Radu is Professor in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Surgery at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He also serves as a Vice Chairman of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, and Co-Director of the Cancer Molecular Imaging, Nanotechnology, and Theranostics Research Program (CMINT) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Radu received his M.D. from the University of Medicine, Craiova, Romania and completed his postdoctoral training in immunology and cancer biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and at UCLA with Dr. Owen Witte.
Randall B. Riggs obtained his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and received an M.B.A. in Management and Finance (cum laude) from the University of Houston. He began his career at Eli Lily & Company and later became Sr. VP for corporate development at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. As a member of the Executive management team, he was intimately involved in raising $220 million for an initial IPO. He served as the Sr. Vice President of Corp Development for Biocryst Pharmaceuticals and was responsible for approximately $1 billion in strategic partnerships. From October 2007 to January 2017, he was president and CEO of Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT), where he created the infrastructure, in-licensed several novel anti-cancer products and raised capital. He organized a successful Phase I trial for their small molecule anticancer drug and then joined Gibson Oncology as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Jessica Kourniaktis has 10 years’ experience leading strategic and external communications for life sciences startups, having collaborated with industry-leading communications’ agencies, as well as major branding, storytelling and design agencies. Prior to joining the industry, Jessica was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Oxford, where she also completed her DPhil in Cold War History and published original research in peer-reviewed academic journals and collective volumes. Since, she has served as COO of three life sciences startups (2019-present: SynDermix AG, Laevoroc Medical AG, and metaShape Pharma AG) and as a Board Member of a Swiss investment company formerly listed on Bx Swiss (ESGTI AG, 2022–24), focusing on market research, asset valuations of pre-revenue life sciences assets and key stakeholder reporting (at the Board and shareholder levels). In 2020, she founded her own Company, Manage Mind AG, where she is responsible for orchestrating a wide array of communications initiatives, from press releases and industry-specific articles to investor decks, shareholder communications and communications’ project management.
Shanta Bantia (PhD in Biochemistry) has over 25 years’ experience in drug design, discovery biology and early clinical development and has worked on purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors for almost two decades. Prior to co-founding metaShape, Shanta served as Head of Discovery Biology at BioCryst Pharmaceuticals for 20 years, where she was involved in drug design, discovery and development of several candidates and advanced a number of compounds to clinical trials in the areas of oncology, virology and inflammation. In particular, she supervised pre-clinical biological work and was actively involved in the clinical development of RAPIVAB, approved for the treatment of influenza, and MUNDESINE, approved in Japan for the treatment of relapsed/refractory peripheral T-Cell lymphoma. In addition, she discovered a novel use for a compound on-shelf, Galidesivir (a viral RNA polymerase inhibitor), as a broad spectrum anti-viral agent that demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models of various viruses, including Ebola and Marburg.
Subsequently, she founded her consultancy, Nitor Therapeutics, and discovered small molecules that activate the innate immune system through modulation of pattern recognition receptors like TLR and STING. Her discovery led to the development of STING inhibitors for the treatment of neurological diseases and the award of a grant for a Phase I study in Parkinson’s Disease. Shanta has authored more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is an inventor of over 15 patents.
Thomas Mehrling (PhD in Pharmacology and MD) has over 20 years’ experience in multinational Pharma companies developing novel oncology compounds from preclinical research through to registration. Prior to entering the industry, he spent 13 years as an MD at the University Hospital in Frankfurt, working on preclinical and translational projects. He served as Director of European Oncology at Mundipharma International (2003–2013), building the company’s first European oncology business from the ground up out of Cambridge, UK, and completing the clinical development, registration and launch of two major products in Europe, DepoCyte® and Levact® (Ribomustin® and Treanda®). In 2013, he led the establishment of the Mundipharma Group’s start-up, Mundipharma EDO, developing anti-cancer therapeutics for solid tumours out of Basel, Switzerland.
Thomas’ work with PNP inhibitors began during his tenure at Mundipharma, during which he was responsible for the clinical development of a specific inhibitor for the treatment of aggressive blood cancers. The development of this compound was later discontinued for commercial reasons. However, since 2020, Thomas has devoted much of his time and resources to investigating the properties of PNP inhibitors, together with his colleague, Dr. Shanta Bantia.