Our History

Orphazyme was founded in Denmark in 2009 based on a scientific discovery about the role of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which was described in a well-cited article published in the journal Nature. One of the lead authors of that paper, Thomas Kirkegaard Jensen, is a founder of our company and our Chief Scientific Officer.

Today, we have translated that scientific discovery into a late-stage clinical development program. We are working to obtain regulatory approvals that will allow us to bring a novel treatment to patients, applying our knowledge of heat shock proteins (HSPs) for the benefit of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.

Our Core Values

COURAGE

PERSEVERANCE

CARE

INTEGRITY

We believe that we are stronger together and we leverage this strength every day to translate our passion and dedication into action. To do this, we must show up for each other and for the patients and communities we serve. We launched a hashtag that we feel reflects the culture and drive of all Orphazyme employees:

#WhyWeShowUp

We’re all part of this team because of a shared energy and a shared vision. We’re on the verge of making a real difference for people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases. These are people who have been waiting far too long for treatment innovation. We have the chance to change that by supporting these patients, deepening our connection to them and making sure they don’t face their journey alone. This is #WhyWeShowUp. Even if we each show up for slightly different reasons, the important thing is that we do.

Global Leadership Team

Anders Vadsholt, MBA

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer

MBA from Melbourne University, MSc in Commercial Law and Economics from Copenhagen Business School
Joined in 2016
25 years' biotech and corporate finance experience
Previously at Topotarget, Bankinvest Biomedical Venture, and Carnegie Investment Banking

Global Board of Directors

Georges Gemayel

Chairman of the Board

Member since 2012
Chairman of nomination committee
Born 1960, American nationality
Georges Gemayel holds a Master's degree and a PhD degree in Pharmacology from Paris-Sud University and a Docteur d´Exercice en Pharmacie from the St. Joseph University

Bo Jesper Hansen

Deputy Chairman of the Board

Member since 2010
Chairman of the remuneration committee
Born 1958, Danish nationality
Bo Jesper Hansen holds a MD and PhD degree in Medicine from the University of Copenhagen.

Stephanie Okey

Board Member

Member since 2021
Member of the audit committee
Member of the remuneration committee
Born 1959, American nationality
Stephanie Okey holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from The Ohio State University and an M.S. in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from Wright State University.

Carrolee Barlow

Board Member

Member since 2020
Born 1963, American nationality
Chairwoman of the science committee
Member of the nomination committee
Carrolee holds a PhD in Molecular and Development Biology from the Karolinska Medical Nobel Institution, an MD from the University of Utah School of Medicine and a BA in English from the University of Utah

Martin Bonde

Board Member

Member since 2010
Member of audit committee
Member of nomination committee
Member of science committee
Born 1963, Danish nationality
Martin Bonde holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (HD i Udenrigshandel) from Copenhagen Business School, a Master of Science and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark

Andrew Mercieca

Board Member

Member since 2022
Chairman of the audit committee
Born 1966, British nationality
Andrew Mercieca holds a BA in Accounting and Finance from University of Portsmouth and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Our History

Our Core Values

#WhyWeShowUp

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