DIRK REYN

Dirk is married to Kristin and has two children, Michael and Birgit. His hobbies are music (High End Hi-Fi projects), Oldtimer cars (historical rally’s) and sports (biking/swimming/tennis).

He is a university graduated Pharmacist (University of Antwerp) and MBA'er (Handelshogeschool, Kellogs, Chicago) with Marketing, Sales, Project Team, Crisis Management, Business Development, Investment, CEO and General Management skills acquired in the international pharmaceutical industry over a period of 35 years.

Previously VP Business Development for Europe at Janssen Pharmaceutica (2000-2006). Founder and CEO of MOVETIS (2006), biopharmaceutical Spin-off company from Janssen Pharmaceutica that went public and was sold to Shire. Founder and Chairman of Progress Pharma (2013). CEO of Lipid Therapeutics that partnered with Nestle (2013) Co-founder, first CEO and initial investor in EtheRNA (2014) immunotherapies. Co-founder, first CEO and investor in Spectricity (2018). Past Chairman of Across Health (2018-2020) that was sold to Precision Medecine (2020). Managing Partner in Bioqube Ventures (2019), the fund manager of the Bioqube Factory Fund. Chairman of flanders.bio since 2018.

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Big basketball fan and founder of two basketball clubs (period 1989 to 1993) and member of the Belgian National University and Military Basketball Team (1989).
President of Regional chapter of Jaycees International between 1998 and 2002 and honorary member.
Member since 2010 and President of Rotary Turnhout
2017-2018.
http://www.rotaryturnhout.be/



Paul Harris Fellow and President of New Member Committee since 2019.
Founding ad Core team member of Move to Help – annual charity event – powered by Rotary Turnhout and other partners. President of Moved to Help edition 2017 and responsible for sport activities since 2018.
www.movedtohelp.be - In the news - On TV

Co-organiser of different musical events/concerts.
Business sparring partner for Belgian artists in a changing music business model.


CAREER HISTORY

Today

Managing Partner and founder of Bioqube Ventures.

Bioqube Ventures is a specialist life sciences investment firm founded in 2016. The team consists of investment professionals, sector experts and serial entrepreneurs that have a proven track record in successfully building and leading companies on their growth paths. In 2020, Bioqube Ventures launched the Bioqube Factory Fund I, a €110 million fund with a clear focus on the discovery and development of new therapeutic platforms and assets.With a diversified investment strategy, including a venture creation model and industry guidance through selected strategic partnerships, Bioqube Ventures will exclusively invest in the most promising innovative science in Europe. Find out more at www.bioqubeventures.com.

Follow @bioqubeventures on LinkedIn - Follow @bioqubeventures on Twitter
Chairman of Flanders Bio since 2018.
flandersbio.be
FlandersBio is the umbrella organization of Flemish biotech companies, research organisations and capital and service providers. FlandersBio is acting as a driving force for the sustained growth of the Flemish biotech industry by stimulating the flow of knowledge, creating a supportive environment, actively promoting entrepreneurship and improving the international visibility of Flanders as biotech region.

2019

Spectricity is a spin-off of imec, a leading R&D center in nano-electronics and digital technologies in Belgium. Spectricity develops low-cost, miniaturized, integrated optical spectral sensing solutions in the visible and near-infrared spectral range (400nm-1050nm). Typical application areas are colorimetric and biomedical applications for industrial and consumer markets. Dirk was First CEO, early investor and co-founded the company with a team of IMEC employees in 2015. Between 2016-2018 he was board member and executive consultant. Currently he only supports the company as ad-hoc mentor.

2018

Chairman of Across Health between 2018 - 2020
www.across.health

Supported team in the acquisition by Precision Medicine group in 2020. Currently he supports the company as ad-hoc mentor.
Across Health is a pragmatic, end-to-end boutique consultancy and trusted advisor to senior leaders of innovative multinational healthcare organisations. It develops, executes and measures pragmatic, evidence-based omnichannel customer engagement strategies and companywide digital innovation and transformation programmes that unlock growth opportunities and strengthen competitive advantage.
First CEO, early day investor and Co-founder of eTheRNA immunotherapies, a spin- off company from the VUB Belgium in 2016. eTheRNA has developed a proprietary and integrated set of platform technologies that are overcoming the challenges facing the development of next generation mRNA therapeutics. The platforms include mRNA construct design and optimization, proprietary lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and formulations, and in-house process engineering capabilities for mRNA drug substance manufacturing. As CEO, he closed a 24 MM series A financing with a syndicate of international investors in 2016 and lead the company through its creation stage. Retired as CEO in 2018 and currently supports the company as ad-hoc sparring partner.
eTheRNA immunotherapies is a pioneer in the development of mRNA-based immunotherapies for cancer, focusing on therapies that prepare and activate the immune system by programming dendritic cells (DC) with synthetic mRNA. eTheRNA uses its proprietary TriMix platform comprising three mRNA molecules that jointly have a boost effect on the activation and maturation of DCs, leading to potent population of both helper and cytotoxic T-cells. The product is in clinical trails for Melanoma and Breast cancer.

2013

Ex-CEO, now chairman, and founder of Progress Pharma, an asset development company in 2013. Supported deal between Nestle and Lipid Therapeutics around a phase III asset in UC in 2015.
www.progresspharma.eu
Ex- Board member of Tigenix (public company in stem cells) and Zembro (digital alarm for elderly).
Completed the acquisition of Movetis by Shire in Aug 2010 and became Managing Director of the expanding Shire-Movetis site in Turnhout and Global General Manager for Resolor within the Shire group. Then became VP New Business Opportunities for Shire ex-US until end of 2012.

2006-2010

Responsible for set up of two affiliates; Movetis GmbH in Germany and Movetis Ltd in the UK.
Obtained approval of RESOLOR, a novel medication for severe forms of constipation, in Europe in 2009 with Movetis team.
CEO, Founder and key champion of the creation of MOVETIS NV in 2006. Movetis NV was an independent Belgian biopharmaceutical company which specialized in developing new products for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Build company from scratch and secured more than 200 MM in a series ’A’ and IPO financing from major European and US investors.
Endorsed with the task to create an e-business excellence center and co-ordinate the required structures, processes and e-business offerings in the JNJ EMEA region leading up to full regional implementation of a common Internet and Siebel platform within Janssen Pharma.
As of 2001, responsible for New Business development in Europe for JNJ and one of team players in the closing of different deals including Velcade (Millenium), repurchasing of rights to Risperdal and Natrecor in Europe (Glaxo). Responsible of a team of 25 professionals all over Europe responsible for the commercial evaluation of all L&A opportunities within JNJ EMEA
Team leader of a team of 18 multidisciplinary teammembers from US and Beerse to manage the long-term strategy and regulatory negotiations of PREPULSID.

90's

As Senior Director GI between 1995 and 1997, key member of number of Project Team that facilitated in-licensing and launch of PARIET (rabeprazole, a reflux medication) from Eisai in 1994.
Member, between 1992 and 1995, of the International Strategic Marketing team that launched PREPULSID, a motility agent to treat reflux and dyspepsia, for Janssen-Cilag, a division of JNJ.

80's

Member of the Eli Lilly team between 1988 and 1992 that launched Prozac, an antidepressant, in Belgium and the US.


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