Axel Mescheder
Chief Medical & Development Officer
Special competences
Sound medical experience, clinical judgment, scientific and
development skills. Experience in drug development, medical
marketing, product development with focus on oncology. Experienced
in building and managing international development teams.
Has a proven track record of developing and registering drugs
internationally both with the FDA and EMA.
Experience in evaluating individual compounds as well as
portfolios in order to make strategic decisions regarding business
development and partnering.
Chief responsibility
To coordinate the joint develop of belinostat together with
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Topotarget's partner for the US
market and for selected indications for Europe.
To do so, efficient and accelerated clinical and regulatory
development pathways satisfying international regulatory
authorities and meeting market standards for efficacy, safety, and
quality are mandatory.
The value of the pipeline products will be maximized as we focus
our resources on the belinostat development.
A motivated and experienced development team with clear
objectives and milestones is instrumental to achieve these
ambitious goals.
Experience
Dr Mescheder brings sound medical experience and clinical
judgment together with strong scientific and development skills to
Topotarget. He has more than 20 years experience in drug
development, ranging from bench and early stage to late stage
clinical development, including medical marketing. He is author of
peer-reviewed publications and has chaired and presented at
numerous national and international conferences. He has been
responsible for product development with focus on oncology,
including regulatory affairs, drug safety, biostatistics, medical
affairs, QA, and project management.
He has a proven track record of developing and registering drugs
internationally both with the FDA and EMA. Major products in
development and commercialization have been Roferon A®, Kybernin®,
Neumega™, InductOs® and Tygacil®, including the clinical lead for
registration of Eligard® (EU), Veregen/Polyphenon® (US/EU), and
Oracea (EU).
Dr Mescheder brings experience in evaluating individual
compounds as well as portfolios in order to make strategic
decisions regarding business development and partnering.
Dr Mescheder has worked in major pharmaceutical companies like
Roche, Aventis Behring, and Genetics Institute/Wyeth with
increasing management responsibility. Over the past decade he has
served as Medical Director, Vice President, and Chief Medical &
Development Officer at publicly stock-traded biotech companies.
Education
Axel Mescheder is MD from the University of Kiel (Germany) with
board certification in Pharmacology and Toxicology and has worked
as a Research Physician in the Dept of Pharmacology and Biophysics
of the University of Cincinnati (US). Furthermore, he has attended
an executive St. Gallen management training program.
One of my favorite quotes
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to
collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach
them to long for the endless immensity of the sea"
(Antoine De Saint-Exupéry)
In my own words
At Topotarget
At Topotarget, I see great potential both in the
dedicated staff and in the future development of belinostat. I am
impressed by recent steps to focus and foster the development
capabilities in order to become a leading biotechnology company in
the field of cancer. Belinostat offers great prospects and may
become a best-in-class HDAC inhibitor. The company is backed by
prestigious investors and has a solid cash position for upcoming
business and drug development activities. The cooperation with
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc and the NCI supports future
development of cancer products.
Topotarget has the potential to become a successful oncology
midcap biopharmaceutical company with belinostat being approved and
marketed.
The main reason I chose my field
During the entire period of medical training and
professional career I was intrigued to better understand the vital
biologic processes of the body, the failure in case of diseases,
and how to help patients with the most advanced drug therapy.
Therefore, I served as physician both in the clinics and academic
science to gain first-hand experience followed by professional drug
development in big pharma and biopharmaceutical companies. I was
always imbued by the inspiring atmosphere within global development
teams and with international business partners. My goal is to
develop innovative, safe, and effective drugs to help patients
suffering from severe diseases.
The other side of me
I enjoy sailing my F18 catamaran in the amazing scenery
of the Bavarian lakes or on the impressive Baltic Sea. For me,
sailing is a true team approach with friends you can rely on. On
the weekends, I meet with friends to run. To ensure sufficient
power supply for the sport activities, I like to cook for my family
and friends and savor the hours we spend together.