Board of Directors

Urban Paulsson
Chairman

Experience
Urban Paulsson (born 1963) is one of the co-founders of Gesynta Pharma. He holds a Master of Laws degree from Lund University. Urban has more than 20 years of experience from the life science industry including key positions as in-house counsel at Pharmacia Corporation and general counsel at Vitrolife AB, with a focus on transactions involving licensing, acquisitions, and divestment. Urban was co-founder of Cormorant Pharmaceuticals which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2016 through a deal valued at up to SEK 5 billion. Further, Urban is a co-founder of Buzzard Pharmaceuticals AB and Cinclus Pharma AB.

Other assignments
Chairman of the Board of Evident Life AB, Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB, Buzzard Pharmaceuticals AB, MetaCurUm Biotech AB, Cavis Technologies AB, Cordivest AB
Board Director of Nanexa AB, Nylof Holding AB and Brf Bellman

Charlotte Edenius
Board Member

Experience
Charlotte Edenius (born 1958), M.D, Ph.D., is one of the co-founders of Gesynta Pharma. Charlotte has more than 25 years of experience from positions within the life science industry with experience from all phases of drug development as well as business development including successful partnering and licensing. Her experience spans from AstraZeneca to biotech companies including senior management positions as EVP R&D, Medivir AB, SVP Research, Orexo AB, and CSO, Biolipox AB. Charlotte has also served in non-executive board positions in several private and public pharma companies, including Karolinska Development AB.

Other assignments
Board Director of Kancera AB (publ)
Chairman of the Board and CEO of Allmora Life Science AB

Roger Franklin
Board Member

Experience
Roger Franklin (born 1979) holds a PhD in oncology from the University of Cambridge. Roger has more than 15 years of experience from the life science industry, including positions as senior analyst in pharmaceuticals and biotech at a London-based investment bank and as investment manager at a large London-based life science venture capital fund. Roger currently serves as Partner at Hadean Ventures, a Stockholm/Oslo-based European life science venture fund.

Other assignments
Board Director of Abliva AB
Board Observer at Pipeline Therapeutics Inc, San Diego (USA), Step Pharma SAS (France), and Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH (Germany)

Gunnar Olsson
Board Member

Experience
Gunnar Olsson (born 1953), M.D., Ph.D., is a specialist in cardiology and internal medicine. From 1998 to 2010, Gunnar held a position as adjunct professor at the Department of Medicine at Karolinska Institutet. He holds an honorary doctorate in medicine at Gothenburg University. Gunnar has more than 30 years of experience from positions within the life science industry. He has served as Vice President & Head of Cardiovascular & Gastrointestinal Therapy Areas at Global R&D at AstraZeneca, and served in board positions in a number of biotech companies and the European Society of Cardiology.

Other assignments
Chairman of the Board of IRLAB Therapeutics AB (publ), Betagenon AB, Olsson Solutions AB
Board Director of Bundy Academy at Lund university and Hjärt-Lungfonden (Swedish Heart & Lung Foundation)

William Gunnarsson
Board Member

Experience
William Gunnarsson (born 1947) holds a BA in Science and Economics. William has more than 45 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry, including roles at Bristol Myers and Nobel Pharma. In 1990, William founded Orphan Europe SARL in Paris, France (acquired by the Recordati Group in 2007).

Other assignments
Board Director of Laccure AB, Sixera Pharma AB and Synphora AB

Bita Sehat
Board Member

Experience
Bita Sehat (born 1976) holds a PhD in molecular oncology from the Karolinska Institutet and an MBA from Concordia University. Bita has more than ten years of academic research experience from Karolinska Institutet and McGill University. Further, Bita has an extensive background in investment banking and asset valuation from Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and from Foster Rosenblatt in Canada. Currently, she serves as Investment Director Life Science at Industrifonden.

Other assignments
Board Director of Minervax ApS

Learn more about Gesynta Pharma

About Gesynta Pharma

Gesynta Pharma bases its R&D on groundbreaking research from the Karolinska Institutet.

Our Board of Directors

Our reputable board holds vast experience in drug development, commercialization and company scale-up.

Systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease hallmarked by chronic inflammation in the body’s smallest blood vessels.

Digital ulcers

Half of systemic sclerosis patients develop difficult-to-heal digital ulcers, hampering many everyday activities.

Raynaud's phenomenon

Raynaud’s phenomenon affects most systemic sclerosis patients. It is often the first sign of the disease.

Our drug candidates

Our lead drug candidate GS-248 is currently under evaluation in a phase 2 study.