Melamed - פקולטה לביולוגיה Biology Faculty

Professional Profile

Experience of more than 25 years in senior executive management positions in the biopharmaceutical industry
Established and led life-sciences companies, with profound technological, operational and business development experience
Led multiple development, tech transfer and partnering projects
Was responsible for all aspects of start-up and growth company management

Education / Resume

1999, MBA. Bar-Ilan University. Specialization in Marketing.
1994, Ph.D. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Molecular Genetics and Virology. Thesis title: “Molecular mechanisms of cytokine-mediated cell growth arrest”, under the supervision of Prof. A. Kimchi.
1987, M.Sc. Tel-Aviv University, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology. Thesis title: “Carcinogen-mediated activation of gene-expression in Chinese Hamster Cells”, under the supervision of Prof. S. Lavi. Graduated with honors.
1985, B.Sc. Tel-Aviv University. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

Industry Experience

2017- present, CEO, TAROM Innovative Technologies Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel.
A private Life Sciences venture studio. TAROM Innovative selects, invests in and develops multiple products, based on IP acquired from research institutions and inventors, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biologics and diagnostics.

Current portfolio includes different disruptive cancer therapies, novel anti-bacterial drugs, medical devices in the ophthalmology field and digital health.

2024, President & CTO, MetaboCure Ltd.
A recently founded start-up developing an mRNA-based therapy for cancer cachexia, a body wasting syndrome responsible for about 30% of cancer deaths. The company develops a first of its kind therapy using state-of-the-art technologies. Responsible for all technical and business aspects of the company.

2018-2024, CTO, KinBio Ltd., Rehovot, Israel
Kinbio is the biologics development arm of a conglomerate of companies under NKF, a global pharmaceutical company with presence in China, USA and Israel.

2019-2021, Director, Tikcro Technologies Ltd.
Tickro (OTCQB: TIKRF) supports early-stage development in growth areas, with a focus on biotechnology projects originated in Israeli academic centers. Tikcro is engaged with development of certain antibodies selected and verified in pre-clinical trials with a focus on antibodies targeting immune modulator pathways for cancer treatment.

2017-2018, Senior VP, Business Development, InSight Biopharmaceutical Ltd.
InSight Bio (a different legal entity than the below mentioned InSight Biopharmaceuticals) was a holding company of different biologics manufacturing technologies that were commercialized to pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The company was sold to an international pharmaceutical company.

1995-2017, Executive VP, InSight Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Rehovot, Israel
InSight was focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, biosimilars and sophisticated generics. The company owned one of Israel’s most equipped and modern R&D labs and biopharmaceutical APIs manufacturing facility, with workforce of 140 highly skilled employees (at the company’s peak activity), including an R&D team of 60 scientists, 20 of which are PhDs and with annual peak sales of about 20 million USD. Commercialized products that generated for the partners accumulated sales over the years of nearly 1 billion USD.

1995, Peptor Ltd., Rehovot, Israel
Freelance project initiator in the field of anti- and pro-apoptotic peptides. Reported directly to the company’s CEO.

Major Achievements

Innovation and R&D in collaboration with academic institutions:
- Led the R&D team that cloned the heparanese gene – a breakthrough at the time, deciphering cancer metastatic processes and a novel target for inhibitory molecules (antibodies and small molecules), as a basis for the development of novel drugs. The discovery was published on the cover page of Nature Medicine.
- Led the development of multiple innovative products for the research market (as research reagents and tools):
  - Novel anti-cancer antibodies aimed at heparanase inhibition (commercialized)
  - Diagnostic kit for early cancer detection. (commercialized)
  - Small molecules new chemical entities for cancer treatment (not commercialized)
  - Recombinant protein for wound healing, embryo implantation and hair growth (commercialized)
- Steered development projects in the field of ophthalmology, novel CAR-T cells, novel delivery system to treat SCLC, and cancer diagnostics.
Biopharmaceutical development:

Led the development of a large portfolio of biosimilars and innovative biopharmaceuticals from concept to product that were commercialized in different markets and have a demonstrated track record of safety and efficacy:
- Interferon alpha 2a and Interferon alpha 2b for the treatment of hepatitis B – both products are based on bacterial (E.coli) host, were commercialized, approved and are sold in LATAM markets for years.
- G-CSF ( coli-expressed) for neutropenia treatment, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM markets for years.
- GM-CSF (E. coli-expressed) for the recovery of leukocytes levels after bone marrow transplantation, was commercialized, approved and was sold in LATAM markets. Currently it is not produced anymore due to lack of demand.
- Interferon beta-1b (E. coli-expressed) and interferon beta-1a (mammalian cells-expressed) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, were commercialized, approved and are sold in LATAM and other developing markets for years.
- Erythropoietin (EPO, mammalian cells-expressed) for the treatment of anemia as a result of renal failure, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM markets for years.
- Anti-CD20 mAb for the treatment of blood cancers and inflammatory diseases, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM and other markets. In addition, the manufacturing process (including the cell bank) was sold to a European biopharmaceutical partner.
- Anti-HER2 mAb for the treatment of breast cancer, was commercialized. Product not yet approved.
- Anti-TNF fusion protein for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM.
- Anti-TNF chimeric mAb for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM.
- Anti-TNF fully human mAb for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM.
- Anti RNKL mAb for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone cancer, the cell bank and lab-scale manufacturing process was sold to a European biopharmaceutical company. The process is now being transferred to a global company to large-scale manufacturing in China and further planned approval in the USA.
- Glatiramer acetate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, was commercialized, approved and is sold in LATAM and other developing markets. The product, which active substance (API) is manufactured at KinBio, Rehovot, Israel, is currently under approval process in the USA and approval is expected this year.
- XTMAB-16, a novel (ethical) anti-TNF mAb for the treatment of sarcoidosis (a life-threatening inflammatory lung disease). Successfully passed Phase I in the USA (through FDA). Now in phase II clinical trial. Intended for the US market as an orphan drug.

Dror Melamed