The Only European Forum Focused on GMP TIDES Scale-Up

Dr Vllasaliu is a pharmacist and gained his PhD at the University of Nottingham. His research interests center around understanding and overcoming biological barriers to improve drug delivery, with a key focus on enabling injection-free administration of biotherapeutic drugs (peptides, proteins, nucleic acids). As part of this, he has specific interests in drug delivery systems, including nanomedicines and extracellular vesicles (exosomes), that potentially enable injection-free delivery. He is also interested in drug delivery for diseases of, or linked to, the gut.

Finally, aspects of Driton’s research relate to the creation of improved (more predictive) in vitro models for use in medicines development, including organoids. Much of his current research focus is on oral delivery of RNA using exosomes.

Fernando Albericio is a globally renowned chemist and entrepreneur specialising in peptide synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and nanomedicine. He is currently a Research Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Barcelona, where he previously served as a Full Professor for nearly three decades.

With an extensive career spanning academia, industry, and scientific leadership, Prof. Albericio has held influential positions worldwide, including Rector at Yachay Tech (Ecuador), Visiting Professor at King Saud University (Saudi Arabia), and Group Leader at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona. His impact on the field is further demonstrated by his numerous editorial roles in leading scientific journals.

Prof. Albericio has authored over 1,100 publications, secured 63 patents, and supervised 81 PhD students. His research contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Vincent du Vigneaud Award, the Meienhofer Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Gold Medal of the South African Chemical Institute. He has also been recognised among the world's top 2% of scientists in the Stanford ranking.

Beyond academia, he has founded multiple biotech companies, including Medalchemy, DiverDrugs, and BioDurban, bridging the gap between research and industry. His work continues to shape the future of peptide science, drug development, and green chemistry.

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David Gilot, PhD, is an enthusiastic molecular biologist with over 26 years of experience in the oligonucleotide therapeutic field & therapy resistance in oncology. His combined academic and industry background allows him to build essential networks with external partners, contract research organisations, and medical experts to advance patient-centred innovations.

Focused on discovering potent, durable, and safe RNA therapeutics, he thinks that successful projects rely on robust basic science. He leads RNA-based research and clinical programs, with extensive expertise in RNA mechanisms, including pioneering work on masking oligonucleotides. He has significantly contributed to IP generation and innovative strategies for oligonucleotides (conjugates), supporting an expanding portfolio across various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases, and oncology.

Vusala Ibrahimova obtained a cotutelle PhD in Organic and Polymer Chemistry from UCL/UBx in Belgium/France and pursued three and half years of postdoc in Nanomedicine at UBx in France. After working in a Biotech company as a Formulation Scientist she has joined the R&D Formulation team at CureVac as a Research Scientist in 2022.

Dr. Petra Disterer is a Lecturer at Brunel University London, UK and has been working in the field of nucleic acid therapeutics for over 25 years. Her focus is on translational research of nucleic acid therapeutics - specifically splice-switching oligonucleotides.

Dr. Angel E. Santorelli V. began his academic journey in Venezuela, earning a Licentiate in Chemistry from Universidad Central de Venezuela and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Universidad Simon Bolivar. He further advanced his expertise with a Ph.D. in Nanoscience from Aarhus University in Denmark. During his doctoral studies at Aarhus University, supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, he developed methods for oligonucleotide modification and integrated photo-responsive molecules into DNA-oligonucleotides.

Currently, he is a researcher specializing in oligonucleotide therapeutics and synthetic chemistry, serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH Zurich. His work focuses on the synthesis and purification of stereopure phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, along the development of mixed modality constructs for drug delivery and novel oligonucleotide purification methods. His professional experience also includes research in DNA-encoded RNA-library technologies at Eleven Therapeutics.

After 35 years in the pharma industry, mainly in large (BMS, Fresenius Kabi; Farmitalia Carlo Erba/Pharmacia; Sigma tau) and medium size companies, with different responsibilities in R&D, Walter Cabri joined, as Full Professor of Organic Chemistry, the Projects for Green Innovation Lab of the University of Bologna. The main areas of interest are in the fields of drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, green chemistry, catalysis, TIDES and complex drugs. He brought several NCE and generic products from bench to market. Co-author >150 papers and >120 patent families; two books “From Bench to Market” by Oxford University Press, Oxford 2000. “Sustainability in TIDES Chemistry” by Royal Society of Chemistry, London 2024.

Dr. Malgorzata Honcharenko leads the Oligonucleotide and Bioconjugation Unit at Karolinska Institutet, where her research focuses on advancing therapeutic modalities—including oligonucleotides, peptides, and antibody conjugates—through innovative bioconjugation strategies. Her work centers on improving targeting and delivery of therapeutics by developing modular conjugation platforms that enhance efficacy and minimize off-target effects.

A principal investigator within the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics (NAT) Hub and an active member of the ATMP Centre at Karolinska Institutet, Dr. Honcharenko drives translational approaches to accelerate clinical impact. She has pioneered bioconjugation techniques that allow for precise and high-efficiency attachment of receptor-specific ligands to oligonucleotides and antibodies, facilitating both targeted drug delivery and endosomal escape.

Her current projects include antibody–oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) and multivalent constructs for extrahepatic targeting. Additionally, she is involved in European initiatives like the COST Action on antisense RNA therapeutics and the NATA Challenge on nucleic acid delivery.

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Troels Koch (TK) is CTO and Head of Chemistry at MiNA Therapeutics. TK has 25 years’ experience in the international life science and biopharmaceutical industry. Founder of several biotech companies of which Exiqon A/S and Santaris Pharma A/S are the most known. Santaris Pharma A/S was acquired by Roche in August 2014 and after the acquisition, TK was leading LNA research both in Copenhagen (RICC) and in Basel (Roche, Switzerland). TK pioneered LNA therapeutics and has positioned LNA antisense science and technology at an international lead position and taken an active role in all steps of oligonucleotide drug discovery and development. In his current role as CTO and Head of Chemistry at MiNA Therapeutics the focus is to improve the drug properties of gene activating oligonucleotides employing advanced sets of chemical modifications. TK has built R&D organizations up to 75 co-workers, held >100 invited presentations at international conferences and is author of 90 peer reviewed publications