Founded in 1998, the Swiss Biotech Association represents the interests of the Swiss biotech industry. To support its members in a competitive market, the Swiss Biotech Association works to secure favorable framework conditions and facilitate access to talents, novel technologies and financial resources. To strengthen and promote the Swiss biotech industry, the Swiss Biotech Association collaborates with numerous partners and life science clusters globally under the brand Swiss Biotech™.
The board
The Board of the Swiss Biotech Association is a working group of representatives from various Swiss biotech companies. It aims to support the biotech industry in Switzerland.
Dr. Patrick Amstutz is acting Chief Executive Officer of Molecular Partners AG in Schlieren. He co-founded Molecular Partners and has been a member of the Company’s management team since its inception in 2004. At the Company, Patrick has been responsible for business development, alliance management and research and development (R&D) operations. He has established a wide range of commercial collaborations and licensed several key technologies. Patrick holds a Master of Science from the ETH Zurich and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Zurich.
Dr. Jurgi Camblong is a visionary entrepreneur who is pioneering the Data-Driven Medicine movement around the world. He is a Molecular Biologist (published in Cell, Science & Nature), has a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Geneva, and an EMBA in Management of Technology from EPFL/HEC Lausanne. In 2011, he founded SOPHiA GENETICS with Dr. Pierre Hutter and Prof. Lars Steinmetz, and has since successfully been leading the development of the company, listed by the MIT Technology Review amongst the 50 smartest companies in 2017. Dr. Camblong is a member of the Advisory Council on Digital Transformation to the Swiss Federal Government, and was personally recognized by EY as Emergent Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.
Igor Fisch is President of Fongit, Switzerland’s premier innovation incubator. Igor is also CEO and Co-founder of NewBiologix, a start-up active in gene therapies. Formerly, he was CEO and Co-founder of Selexis, a world-leading cell line development company. With a successful exit in 2017, Igor was instrumental in guiding Selexis to develop technologies that help biopharmaceutical companies manufacture biologic drugs such as monoclonal antibodies. Under his leadership, this resulted in 10 marketed products. He obtained his PhD at the University of Geneva and continued his postdoctoral studies under Nobel laureate, Prof. Sir Gregory Winter. Igor sits on the boards of Igyxos and Fluosphera.
Anne Marie de Jonge–Schuermans, PhD
Vice President
Global Head Biologics & Injectables Operations
Sandoz
Anne Marie de Jonge–Schuermans has a PhD from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ). Thesis: Management of Sustainability Issues in the Life Sciences Industry.
Her CV highlights
- Since end ‘22 Sandoz (part of Novartis, NVS) responsible for global external manufacturing supply operations
- From end ‘21 Non-Executive Board Member Pharvaris
- ‘18-’22 Swedish Orphan Biovitrum responsible for Technical Operations, incl. CMC development and integration of various Biotech acquisitions (a/o Novimmune)
- ‘15-’18 Biogen across various roles responsible for global supply chain operations, strategic partnerships internal and external manufacturing operations
- ’00-’15 Various global roles in Novartis divisions ranging from Health, Safety & Environment, ESG, Ethical Procurement, Quality, Business Continuity Management and Third Party Operations
Dr. Bettina Ernst is a biotech entrepreneur and investor. She has been investing in healthcare companies for the past 10 years. She also serves on the board of several early-stage biotech companies, on the board of the Swiss Biotech Association, and as a member of the advisory board of the Swiss Entrepreneur Fund and of the Innovation Council of Innosuisse. Bettina is a co-founder of two biotech companies. Prior to her investment and entrepreneurial activities, she worked for 10 years in fundamental immunology in the US (Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA) and in Europe. Bettina holds a PhD in immunology and an undergraduate degree in natural science from the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. Bettina resides in Switzerland.
Filippo Riva, MBA, is Managing Director of Humabs Biomed SA, a subsidiary of VIR, in Bellinzona. He brings over 15 years management experience in both privately held and venture backed biotech and high-tech companies. Filippo holds a degree in Economics from the School of Economics and Business Administration of Lugano and a MBA from the Warwick Business School, United Kingdom.
The team
Former presidents, CEO & honorary members
Luca Bolliger, PhD
HM since 2024
CEO abcDNA
Roland P. Bühlmann, PhD
HM since 2005
BÜHLMANN Laboratories AG
Dominik Escher, PhD
HM since 2022
President Swiss Biotech Association from 2013-2022, Member of the Board 2002 – 2022
CDR-Life
Ulf Grawunder, PhD
HM since 2024
Managing Partner Viopas Venture Consulting
Adrian Härri
HM since 2017
Biolytix AG
Martin Howald
Vice President from 1998-2023 and HM
BioConcept
Herbert Reutimann, PhD
HM since 2005
Domenico Alexakis †
Former CEO of the Swiss Biotech Association and was Honorary Member since 2017
Deeply moved and saddened, we have to say goodbye to our long-term CEO and Honorary Member Domenico (Nic) Alexakis.
He passed away on October 23, 2020. Far too early, at the age of 57, he had lost the fight against an aggressive illness, which, three years ago, had already forced him to step down as the CEO of our association.
Since 2002, Nic had been shaping the Swiss Biotech Association. Under his leadership, the association established a national biotech directory, listing and promoting the biotech companies in Switzerland. This platform – more than ever – demonstrates the power and diversity of the Swiss biotech hub and enables many international partners, investors and talents to connect with Swiss biotech companies.
Together with Cathy Kroll and Heike Bihlmann he established the Swiss Biotech Day as the leading industry networking event. Under the label “National Thematic Network (NTN) Swiss Biotech” he facilitated a close collaboration and know how transfer between academic research groups and industrial partners.
His positive attitude, his optimism and the ability to connect people and organizations enabled him to lead the way when the association worked towards its vision to be “the central resource for the Swiss biotech industry”, and to connect all stakeholders with the objective to act as 1 Nation and 1 Biotech Cluster.
The annual Swiss Biotech Report, which he helped to establish, is testimony of this seamless collaboration.
In 2017, the Swiss Biotech Association appointed Nic Alexakis as an Honorary Member in recognition of his years of commitment to strengthening the biotech industry in Switzerland.
We will miss him dearly and keep him in our best memory as a very warm and wonderful colleague and friend.
Our deepest sympathy goes to the mourning family, to whom we wish much strength and support in these difficult times.
Swiss Biotech Association
Prof. Oreste Ghisalba, PhD †
Founding member of the Swiss Biotech Association in 1998
Vice President from 2005 to 2017
Deeply moved and saddened, we have to say goodbye to our long-time Vice President and Honorary Member.
Prof. Dr. Oreste Ghisalba-Roos
who passed away much too early on December 4, 2018.
With Oreste Ghisalba we lose a friend, colleague and committed pioneer of biotechnological research and development in Switzerland. In 1998, Oreste Ghisalba, a founding member of the Swiss Biotech Association, laid the foundation stone for the Swiss Biotech Association.
For more than 20 years, Oreste Ghisalba was a driving force in the development of our industry association and its Vice President from 2005-2017. As Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Basel, member of the Advisory Board of the Swiss Academies of Science and Technology (SATW) and of the Commission for the Coordination of Biotechnology (SKB), Oreste Ghisalba has been committed to Swiss research and biotechnological research. As Head of the Biotechnology Division of the Commission for Technology and Innovation, Oreste Ghisalba has also evaluated and promoted cooperation between universities and biotechnology companies for many years.
In 2017, the Swiss Biotech Association appointed Oreste Ghisalba as an Honorary Member in recognition of his years of commitment to strengthening biotechnology in Switzerland.
We will miss Oreste Ghisalba very much and keep him in our memory.
Our deepest sympathy goes to the mourning family, to whom we wish much strength and support in these difficult times.
Swiss Biotech Association
Professor Reinhard Glück, PhD †
President of the Swiss Biotech Association from 2002 to 2013
We mourn the loss of our longtime president of our association, who passed away on April 19, 2021.
Reinhard Glück directed the Swiss Biotech Association as president from 2002 to 2013. Under his leadership, the Swiss Biotech Association succeeded in building a network of the Swiss biotech industry and in further improving the framework conditions for research-based biotech companies in Switzerland. Today, Switzerland is one of the world’s leading biotechnology hubs.
We will miss his humor and confidence as well as his passion and gratefully remember his commitment to Switzerland as a research site.
To his family, we extend our heartfelt condolences. The funeral has already taken place in the closest family circle.
Swiss Biotech Association
