Advisory Board
Mission
BioPitch aims to cultivate a community where biotech entrepreneurs, investors, and scientists can connect, gain insights, and forge the connections necessary to transform groundbreaking science into life-changing therapies.
To guide this mission, we have assembled an Advisory Board comprising exceptional leaders who embody the pillars of the ecosystem we are building. The Advisory Board brings together a global and diverse team of experts with extensive experience in drug development, valorisation, regulatory affairs and investment:
Tae Han (Co-founder and CSO/COO of ProfoundBio, part of Genmab since 2024), Nawal Bahia El Idrissi (Managing Director of Sanquinnovate, Sanquin's valorisation department), Hanneke Later-Nijland (Partner at Genome Lawyers) and Patrick Krol (Founder and Portfolio Manager at Aescap).
Tae Han
Tae Han is an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in drug development and multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology. He co-founded ProfoundBio, a company focused on developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment. There, he held several key roles, including board member, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Under his co-leadership, ProfoundBio advanced multiple ADC candidates into clinical trials and secured significant funding before being acquired by Genmab for ~$2 billion in May 2024.
Prior to this, Tae Han held positions at several prominent pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Merck, Seattle Genetics (Seagen), Stemcentrx, AbbVie and Amphivena Therapeutics. In these roles, he gained expertise in the non-clinical and clinical development of both small-molecule drugs and antibody-based therapeutics. Dr. Han holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington and a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from UCLA. In 2024, Dr. Han received the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award from the Life Science Washington Institute in recognition of his significant contributions to advancing life science innovations.
Hanneke Later-Nijland
Hanneke Later-Nijland is distinguished as the sole individual in the Netherlands, and perhaps the European Union, to hold qualifications as both a lawyer (LLM) and a pharmacist (PharmD), further complemented by a PhD in clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This rare combination of expertise gives her a profound understanding of the life sciences industry. Dr Later-Nijland founded Genome Lawyers, an Amsterdam-based firm specialising in (bio)pharma and biotech law. She also established The Genotype Network in 2022, a pioneering global network connecting regulatory and corporate lawyers specialising in life sciences transactions.
She has held a significant position as Inspector for Clinical Trials and Pharmacovigilance at the Netherlands Inspectorate for Healthcare (IGJ), which has provided her with invaluable insights into regulatory enforcement. Recognised for her in-depth knowledge, she lectures in pharmaceutical law at Leiden University, frequently publishes on regulatory life sciences issues and is a sought-after speaker at international conferences.
Nawal Bahia El Idrissi
Nawal Bahia El Idrissi is the Managing Director of Sanquinnovate BV. In this role, she oversees the commercialisation of Sanquin's intellectual property, manages spin-off portfolios and sits on multiple investment fund boards. She also holds several concurrent board and committee roles, including Non-Executive Director at Alveron Pharma, Sansepsis and venture capital firms Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland and Thuja Capital. These roles highlight her significant contributions to the broader innovation ecosystem.
Her career is built on a strong foundation of over 14 years' experience in science-driven business. Prior to her current role Dr Bahia El Idrissi was Director Strategy & Partnerships at the Health and innovation district, she spent more than five years at Catalyze Group, ultimately serving as Head of the Business Unit Strategy. In this position, she spearheaded strategic business development, managed teams, and successfully achieved financial targets for innovation and funding strategies. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Medical Science Liaison at Sanofi, providing medical and scientific expertise in a business enviroment. She holds a PhD in Neuroimmunology from Amsterdam UMC, where her research on ALS and leprosy was supported by a prestigious based on merrit NWO Mozaiek grant.
Patrick Krol
Patrick has over 30 years’ experience as an investor in public biotech companies. He joined Aescap as a General Partner in 2005 when it was still a venture capital fund, becoming its Managing Partner in 2009. In 2013, research across biotech investment funds globally showed that investing in listed biotech companies generates better returns than investing in private companies. After achieving a 130% return during the two-year run-in period (2014–15), he launched the Aescap Life Sciences fund in 2016. This was followed in 2022 by a second biotech fund, Aescap Genetics.
Patrick has served on the board of 10 biotech and medical diagnostics companies, and currently sits on the board of oncology company Sairopa B.V. Notably, he was a board member of F-star Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. In March 2023, F-star Therapeutics was acquired by invoX Pharma, a subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical, for approximately $161 million. From 1995 to 2004, he was the co-founder and managing director of Firm United Healthcare B.V., a consultancy firm providing services to the biotech/life sciences industry. During his nine years as leader of the company, it became a market leader in Europe, advising over 35 public pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on how to successfully market products and increase sales.