welcome to STERNA BIOLOGICALS

sterna biologicals is a clinical-stage immunology company developing novel treatments for type 2 chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma, ulcerative colitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atopic dermatitis.

Our Approach

By targeting GATA-3, a key master transcription factor that plays a central role in dysregulated type 2 inflammatory chronic diseases, the company’s proprietary DNAzyme-based drug candidate hgd40 broadly antagonizes several inflammatory processes and mediators at the same time – opposite to many existing treatments that only address specific individual inflammatory mediators.

Our Mission

We want to develop safe and efficacious GATA-3 specific novel immunomodulating therapies for millions of patients suffering from chronic type 2 inflammatory diseases.

ManagementMeet our leadership team

Our leadership team consists of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry experts who are recognized for their contributions in the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics and bringing new, safe and efficacious treatments to patients and physicians.
Christian Pangratz

Alexander GebauerChief Executive Officer/
Managing Director

Alexander joined sterna as interim CEO & Managing Director in October 2022.

Alexander has over 25 years of experience in the biotechnology industry in leadership roles in North America, Europe and India. He has held C-level positions at leading global companies such as Sun Pharmaceuticals where he was President and Head of Global R&D during the Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited / Sun Pharmaceuticals merger. Alexander has a strong focus on R&D, from early discovery up to launch and life cycle management as well as on business development and designing and implementing corporate strategies. He is currently CEO & Managing Director of Secarna Pharmaceuticals and holds several board positions, including Executive Chairman of the board of US-based Galimedix Inc, which he co-founded.

Alexander studied medicine at Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany where he gained his doctor´s degree in experimental pharmacology. He also holds a degree in computer science and lectures pharmacoeconomics.

Daniel Bock

Daniel BockChief Scientific Officer

Daniel has worked in pharmaceutical R&D with a focus on inflammatory diseases for more than 20 years. His expertise spans from early drug discovery to clinical proof of concept and beyond. He held R&D positions at Novartis and Revotar Biopharmaceuticals before working as an independent expert, advisor and consultant.

Daniel received a Ph.D. from the University of Hannover, Germany.

Marion Wencker

Marion Wencker Chief Medical Officer

Marion joined sterna biologicals in early 2019 as its Chief Medical Officer. Prior to this, she worked in leading positions at Talecris (now Grifols), and GSK, where she was Therapeutic Area Director Respiratory. Previously, Marion worked as Medical Director for a phase I research clinic at CRS Clinical Research Services Mannheim and held a number of positions in academic teaching hospitals and CROs with a strong focus on inflammatory/respiratory diseases and plasma products.

Marion holds a MD from the University of Freiburg, Germany, and is a board-certified internist and pneumonologist.

Rolf Krattenmacher

Rolf KrattenmacherChief Operating Officer

Rolf joined sterna biologicals in February 2019 as Director, Program Management (consulting). Prior to this, he held various international management positions in research, project management, and strategic marketing at Vectura, Solvay and Schering, where he achieved regulatory registrations and product approvals for three new pharmaceutical products. Rolf has a broad scientific background with more than 25 years R&D experience in the pharmaceutical and medical devices (inhalation systems) industries. His expertise includes a wide range of therapeutic areas such as severe lung diseases, dermatology, metabolic disorders, and female healthcare. 

Rolf received his academic training in Biology at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. There he achieved a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology in 1988.

Thomas Klaue

Thomas KlaueChief Financial Officer (consulting)

Thomas joined sterna biologicals in 2019 coming from INJEX Pharma, a medical device company specializing in needle-free injection systems. Prior to this, he worked as Chief Financial Officer and deputy Chief Executive Officer in several publicly listed companies including Marseille-Kliniken and Medigene, where he supported/led their first SEDA financing in Germany and the company’s listing on TecDAX, Germany´s Top 30 Technology Companies index.

Thomas was also an Assistant Professor at the University of Mannheim in Germany and a Research Fellow at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management in Boston, where his research focused on innovation management and organizational changes in industrial corporations. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Business Economics from the University of Mannheim, Germany, a Master’s in Engineering from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany and is a Harvard Business School - Executive Education Program graduate.

PartneringCreating new opportunities for collaboration

With over a decade of experience in research and development in the field of DNAzymes and immunology sterna biologicals has built a wealth of knowledge in the industry as well as an extensive network of academic and commercial partnerships.

If you are interested in a collaboration, please contact us at info@sterna-biologicals.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

CareerWorking at sterna biologicals

We enjoy a modern corporate culture and work environment characterized by diversity, creativity, collaboration, flexibility, agility and performance. We thrive as a team by living these values every day following our united mission to develop novel therapies for millions of patients suffering from type 2 inflammatory chronic diseases.

We always welcome new ideas and fresh perspectives and therefore look forward to connecting with exceptional talents.

If this sounds like you, please send us an application along with your CV to the following address info@sterna-biologicals.com.