Pharmasum Therapeutics is a private Norwegian pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel drugs for treatment of neurological and autoimmune/metabolic diseases with a significant unmet medical need.

Pharmasum Therapeutics´ development candidate PST-674 is a potent DYRK1A protein kinase for treatment of dementia – a clinical indication where current therapy options are lacking.  

The Company expects that the results from the DYRK1A development program will be used for treatment of Alzheimer´s disease, dementia in Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies and dementia in Down syndrome.

Pharmasum has offices in Oslo Science Park, Norway, and holds an international team with extensive R&D expertise based in Norway, UK, and US.

About us | Core management team

Anders Fugelli, PhD

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Anders Fugelli is Co-founder of Pharmasum Therapeutics. He has a passion for brain diseases, with more than 20 years’ experience in academia and industrial R&D. He comes from a role as Head of Business Development in Norwegian start-up pharmaceuticals company Lytix Biopharma and has worked as Partner of life sciences and technology advisors, Amino AS. During the merger of GlaxoWellcome and SmithKlineBeecham, Anders was responsible, as Worldwide Assistant Director of Clinical Development and Product Strategy, of bringing together an overall company approach to the migraine field of the Neurology teams.

Anders received his BSc (hons) from Imperial College, London, and PhD in neuropharmacology from the University of London (Imperial College) for work carried out at the Institute Pasteur, Paris and the Department of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Oslo. He also has additional training in corporate finance from the London Business School.

Anders Fugelli is a Norwegian citizen.

Stig Jarle Pettersen, MSc

Chief Financial Officer

Stig Jarle Pettersen is engaged as CFO. He is a state authorized public accountant (Norway) educated from NHH, Norwegian School of Economics. He has worked as CFO in listed and private companies in Norway and Denmark and has broad experience from the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. In the last 4 years, he has worked as CFO for a portfolio of smaller R&D companies in the biotech and medtech sector.

Stig Jarle Pettersen is a Norwegian citizen.

Wenche Marie Olsen, PhD

Vice President Operations

Wenche Marie Olsen has extensive operational experience in drug discovery and development through clinical phase 1 and 2 in large and small pharma companies. Her previous roles include Chief Operating Officer at Lytix Biopharma and Chief Executive Officer at Lauras. She has also held different positions in Nycomed Bioreg and as Partner in 4BIO. She received her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Oslo. 

Wenche Marie Olsen is a Norwegian citizen.

About us | Board of directors

Anders Fugelli, PhD

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Anders Fugelli is Co-founder of Pharmasum Therapeutics. He has a passion for brain diseases, with more than 20 years’ experience in academia and industrial R&D. He comes from a role as Head of Business Development in Norwegian start-up pharmaceuticals company Lytix Biopharma and has worked as Partner of life sciences and technology advisors, Amino AS. During the merger of GlaxoWellcome and SmithKlineBeecham, Anders was responsible, as Worldwide Assistant Director of Clinical Development and Product Strategy, of bringing together an overall company approach to the migraine field of the Neurology teams.

Anders received his BSc (hons) from Imperial College, London, and PhD in neuropharmacology from the University of London (Imperial College) for work carried out at the Institut Pasteur, Paris and the Department of Preclinical Medical Sciences, Oslo. He also has additional training in corporate finance from the London Business School.

Anders Fugelli is a Norwegian citizen.

Øystein Soug, MSc

Director

Øystein Soug is CEO of Arxx Therapeutics and former CEO of Targovax ASA, a listed Norwegian biotech company. He has been the CFO of Algeta ASA, which was sold to Bayer AG for USD 2.9 billion in 2014. Prior to joining Algeta in 2008 Mr Soug worked for six years at Orkla, lastly as CFO of Orkla’s Russian division. Mr. Soug started his career as a banker with Credit Suisse and with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He received an MSc in Economics and Financial Markets from Universität St. Gallen in Switzerland in 1997.

Øystein Soug is a Norwegian citizen.

John Sigurd Svendsen, PhD

Director

John Sigurd Svendsen brings extensive research experience from work in medical biochemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. He is a co-founder of the company. Previously, he was Head of the exploratory research in Lytix Biopharma. John received his PhD from the University of Tromsø and has been visiting scientist at several distinguished international institutions, including in the laboratory of Professor K. B. Sharpless (Nobel Laureate, Chemistry, 2000 and 2022) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a professor of organic chemistry in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Tromsø.

John Sigurd Svendsen is a Norwegian citizen.

Reijo Salonen, MD, PhD

Director

Dr. Salonen holds a PhD in neuroimmunology from Turku University and an MD with specialization in neurology from Turku University in Finland.

Dr. Salonen has held senior positions in major pharmaceutical companies, serving as VP of Clinical Development and Product Strategy at GSK Neurology / GI, Global Head of Neurosciences Development at Pfizer and as Chief Medical Officer and SVP R&D at Orion Pharma. 

Reijo Salonen is a dual Finnish and US citizen.

Team expertise
Uli Hacksell, PhD - Senior Advisor product development and business scale-up

Uli holds a PhD organic chemistry from Uppsala University, Sweden.

He has held senior positions in major pharmaceutical and biotech companies for over 25 years and more than 10 years’ experience as the CEO of publicly owned companies. As the CEO of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from 2000−2015, he led its development from a private start-up to a public, multibillion-dollar company.

Mike Ashwood - VP CMC

Mike is an organic chemist in process chemistry with extensive industry experience in medicinal chemistry.

Stephen Burbidge - VP Preclinical Development

Stephen has more than 20 years’ experience from Preclinical R&D Project Management within Neurosciences

Isabel Gonzales - VP Biology

Isabel has broad experience in neuroscience and drug development from pharma industry.

Allison Morgan - VP Regul Aff & Clinic

Allison is an experienced orphan disease specialist and was formerly with Prosensa.

She has extensive experience within clinical programme design and regulatory strategy from pharmaceutical industry.