WHO WE ARE
Stellate Therapeutics
Stellate Therapeutics is an international biotech company with locations in Paris, France and NYC, USA
Stellate Therapeutics
Stellate Therapeutics is an international biotech company with locations in:
Paris, France and NYC, USA
Harness the gut-brain axis to
change the trajectory of brain diseases
Bacteria have co-evolved with humans and have become critical to maintaining our health
Recent studies have shown that our gut microbiome impacts brain diseases
Microbiome-made molecules are an ideal source for potential new treatments because they are endogenous and therefore less likely to be toxic
Stellate’s microbiome-derived medicine platform leverages trillions of human gut bacteria to:
About Us
Stellate Therapeutics is an international biotechnology company
with locations in Paris, France and NYC, USA focused on the use of small molecules to
treat neurodegenerative disorders. Through millions of years of co-evolution, humans
have developed a symbiotic relationship with our microbiome. Metabolites that our
microbiome generate contribute to homeostasis, health and wellbeing. By exploring the
interaction and function of these molecules in disease states, Stellate hopes to develop
therapeutics that address unmet needs in a number of neurological conditions. Our lead
candidate STL-101 is in the preclinical stage of development
for treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Team
After studying finance at Dauphine and HEC (École des Hautes Etudes Commerciales), Sophie began her career in investment banking, including four years in the biotechnology sector at Bryan, Garnier, and Kepler. As a result, she worked for biotechnology companies in various therapeutic areas, executing many deals, including IPOs (BioAlliance Pharma, Medicrea), capital increases (Transgene), block trades (Stedim), private placements (Trophos), as well as mergers and acquisitions. Passionate about the healthcare sector, Sophie then founded her own consulting firm in the field of healthcare, Life Sciences Conseil, in order to help biotech start-ups raise capital with investors (venture capital funds, seed money, business angels, etc.) as well as advise venture capital funds on their investments in biotech start-ups.
She also co-founded the Microbiome Foundation which is a French non-profit organization financing cutting-edge research on the gut microbiota in connection with chronic diseases as well as raising public awareness about the critical role of nutrition in shaping the microbiota and preserving one’s “health capital”. The Microbiome Foundation was launched, in the context of rising chronic diseases, out of a desire to contribute to a major scientific revolution in promoting a new paradigm in healthcare, towards a more personalised and preventative approach of healthcare.
She also co-founded the Microbiome Foundation which is a French non-profit organization financing cutting-edge research on the gut microbiota in connection with chronic diseases as well as raising public awareness about the critical role of nutrition in shaping the microbiota and preserving one’s “health capital”. The Microbiome Foundation was launched, in the context of rising chronic diseases, out of a desire to contribute to a major scientific revolution in promoting a new paradigm in healthcare, towards a more personalised and preventative approach of healthcare.
SOPHIE DURAND
CEO
Dr. Immke is a scientific leader who brings deep industry and neuroscience expertise to Stellate Therapeutics. David has an impressive track record of advancing novel agents into clinical trials across multiple modalities against innovative targets in Neurology, Psychiatry, Chronic Pain and Migraine. Prior to joining Stellate as Chief Scientific Officer David spent 17 years at Amgen culminating as Head of Neuroscience Research, Vice President of R&D Transformation and the Scientific Lead for Aimovig, a first in class CGRP receptor antibody for Migraine Prophylaxis.
By training he is an electrophysiologist with an expertise in ion channel structure-function who studied at the University of Connecticut Dept of Physiology and Neurobiology (PhD) and the Vollum institute for Advanced Biomolecular Research (post-doctoral fellowship) in Portland Oregon. David also has clinical research experience in Bone Metabolism from the Osteoporosis Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center and performed Cardiovascular Physiology research for his BS/MS from Eastern Illinois University. David has received Outstanding Alumni awards from both EIU and Univ of Connecticut.
By training he is an electrophysiologist with an expertise in ion channel structure-function who studied at the University of Connecticut Dept of Physiology and Neurobiology (PhD) and the Vollum institute for Advanced Biomolecular Research (post-doctoral fellowship) in Portland Oregon. David also has clinical research experience in Bone Metabolism from the Osteoporosis Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center and performed Cardiovascular Physiology research for his BS/MS from Eastern Illinois University. David has received Outstanding Alumni awards from both EIU and Univ of Connecticut.
DAVID IMMKE
CSO
Dr. Weiss is spearheading business development operations at Stellate Therapeutics by helping to plan and coordinate collaborations and partnerships with academic labs, CRO’s, CMO’s, biopharmaceutical companies and Venture Capital firms.
Jonathan was most recently a scientist Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, leading multiple drug development projects. There he developed the drug Belumosudil for Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGVHD), which was granted Breakthrough and Orphan Drug designations by the FDA, was allowed to bypass a Phase III Clinical Trial and is currently under review by the FDA. He has over 15 years of research experience focusing on Immune Tolerance and Neuroregeneration in both basic science research and drug development.
He has trained at Binghamton University (BS), The NYU School of Medicine (PhD) and The NYU Stern School of Business (MBA). Jonathan has interned for the NYU Office of Industrial Liaison, consulted Pfizer on models of external innovation, and consulted both diagnostic and therapeutics companies.
Jonathan was most recently a scientist Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, leading multiple drug development projects. There he developed the drug Belumosudil for Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGVHD), which was granted Breakthrough and Orphan Drug designations by the FDA, was allowed to bypass a Phase III Clinical Trial and is currently under review by the FDA. He has over 15 years of research experience focusing on Immune Tolerance and Neuroregeneration in both basic science research and drug development.
He has trained at Binghamton University (BS), The NYU School of Medicine (PhD) and The NYU Stern School of Business (MBA). Jonathan has interned for the NYU Office of Industrial Liaison, consulted Pfizer on models of external innovation, and consulted both diagnostic and therapeutics companies.
JONATHAN WEISS
VP, Corporate and Business Development
Dr. Richard is a molecular and cellular biologist with a long-standing interest in RNA biology and understanding neurodegeneration. During her postdoctoral studies, and as an associate research scientist at Columbia University, she focused her efforts towards elucidating the molecular role of Senataxin, a protein mutated in two neurological disorders, a juvenile form of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS4) and a form of ataxia (Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2, AOA2). In 2019, she joined Stellate Therapeutics as program director at the JLABS location in NYC. Now, Director of Neuroscience, she leads and manages pre-clinical neuroscience programs including but not limited to Parkinson’s disease. She’s also in charge of grant writing and has successfully received funding for her academic research valued at over $700,000. Her long-term goal is to be part of the collaborative effort that enables the development of therapeutics to fight neurodegeneration.
PATRICIA RICHARD
Director, Neuroscience
Dr. Stukes is a trained scientist specializing in infectious diseases and host pathogen interactions. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and has held positions at both the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. Prior to joining Stellate, she was the founding Assistant Director for the Master's in Translational Medicine (MTM) at City University of New York, a brand new type of graduate degree that educates and trains scientists and engineers in the hands-on process of medical technology commercialization and healthcare innovation.
She also holds a Biomedical Engineering teaching position at the Grove School of Engineering, City College of New York
SABRIYA STUKES
Operations Director
Dr. YoneJung Yoon is a trained neuroscientist with over a decade of experience in the field of neurological diseases such as psychiatric disorder, stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson disease. During her postdoctoral studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, she focused on characterizing the molecular and cellular mechanism of glial cells in anxiety related disorders via regulating translational expression on serotonin transporter mRNA and the role of ephrinB2 on angiogenesis and neuroprotection in Alzheimer disease. Her work showed that mutants of Presenilin1(PS1) linked to Familial Alzheimer's Disease impaired the brain's response to ischemia by decreasing certain neuroprotection mechanisms in the brain such as angiogenesis and increasing neuronal death. She earned her degrees from The University of Vermont and Yonsei University and has published her research in a variety of peer-reviewed scientific journals. As part of Stellate, she will be responsible for executing many of our critical in-house experiments and managing our on-site laboratory facilities.
YONEJUNG YOON
Research Scientist
Sofia Mary Benedict-Victor holds her Master’s in Biotechnology from St. John’s University, NY, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai. She has experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques and prior to joining Stellate, worked at the New York Blood Center. There, her projects focused on elucidating the mechanism of HIV infection and inhibiting the entry of virus inside cells by using small peptides that actively target the Spike protein of SARS COV-2 to stop attachment to ACE2 cell receptor. At Stellate, she will be working closely with our Director of Neuroscience and Research Scientist to perform key in-house experiments which will provide the scientific data and information needed for clinical trials of our lead molecule.
SOFIA MARY BENEDICT-VICTOR
Senior Research Associate
Board of Directors and Scientific Advisors
antoine danchin
Scientific Founder
Bernard Munos
Strategic Advisor
