Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. (NMS) stands out in the pharmaceutical landscape by harnessing globally trained expertise in medicinal chemistry, coupled with deep institutional knowledge accrued over years. This unique foundation enables the design of sophisticated kinase inhibitors and unprecedented payload linkers for ADC applications, leveraging expertise in cytotoxic and targeted molecules.
The innovation at NMS is driven by a collaborative effort among chemists, translational biologists, and clinical development specialists. Together, these multidisciplinary teams work seamlessly to develop and deliver next-generation anti-cancer drugs, embodying a model of integration that accelerates progress and enhances outcomes in cancer treatment.
Improving cancer patients’ health through our unwavering commitment to discover, develop and deliver life-changing oncology drugs
A legacy of Pharma and Biotech Innovations from Anthracyclines to Cutting-Edge Oncology Therapies
History
Leadership
Board of Directors
Hugues Dolgos, PharmD
CEO and Interim CSO of NMS S.r.l.
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), School of Pharmacy (Paris V) and an MS in Medical Sciences (Paris V and Paris VI universities)
Served as Global Head of Oncology at Servier, Vice President and Head of R&D Strategy PMO, Quantitative Pharmacology and Drug Disposition Merck KGaA and other leading positions at AstraZeneca and Sanofi.
Highlights: successful drug approval of Tibsovo® (Ivosidenib), Bavencio® (Avelumab), Tepmetko® (Tepotinib), Mavenclad ® (Cladribine), Crinone ® and Ovidrel ®, Cyanokit ® and Xadago ® (Safinamide)
Expertise in R&D, Corporate Strategy, Alliance and Business Development
Lisa Mahnke, MD, PhD
Chief Medical Officer, NMS S.r.l., CEO/President/Managing Director, NMS-US
MD/PhD in Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin; Clinical Residency and Fellowship, Washington University in St Louis; Scientific Fellowship, Molecular Oncology, Washington University in St Louis; medically licensed in Massachusetts.
Lisa brings 20 years of clinical trials and drug development experience spanning small molecules and biologics, heavily in oncology. She has extensive First-In-Human, Breakthrough, End-Of-Phase-II and NDA/BLA/MAA experience including many primary roles. She has held increasing leadership with diversity making her well-rounded in expertise. Lisa served as Head of Clinical Sciences (Early Clinical Development), Oncology, Servier Pharmaceuticals; SVP, Head of Clinical Development, Bicycle Therapeutics; VP, Head of Clinical Development, Syros Pharmaceuticals; Global Head of Clinical Pharmacology, EMD Serono (Merck KGaA); Global Clinical Lead, first approval of Bavencio, EMD Serono (Merck KGaA); Global Head of Clinical Pharmacology, Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Global Clinical Lead, Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Clinical Pharmacologist, Merck & Co (MSD); Global Clinical Lead, Bristol Myers Squibb.
Highlights: US and EU first approvals of Bavencio (PDL1 checkpoint inhibitor); 41bb checkpoint inhibitor early development; DNA damage repair inhibitors ATR, ATM and DNA-PK First-In-Human; End-Of-Phase II package MET inhibitor tepotinib; First-In-Human studies IDO and TGFβ2R-avelumab fusion; CDK7 early development; EphA2 and Nectin ADC-like peptide conjugates First-In-Human; Bcl2 and MCL1 pro-apoptosis early development; dual checkpoint inhibitor, innate immune modulator and other oncology targets.
Expertise in Breakthrough, Scientific Advice, IND, CTA, End-Of-Phase II and BLA/NDA/MAA
Serena Alvino, MBA, JD
Chief Legal, Biotech & Transaction
With a proven track record in all legal areas with a special focus on biotech and pharma, e.g., intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance, and successfully orchestrated legal strategies that contributed to the success and growth of the organizations where she served, Serena demonstrated exceptional legal acumen and leadership.
Sidney Dung, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
With over 20 years of experience leading strategic initiatives with cross-functional and multinational teams in manufacturing, transportation, financial services and consultancy sectors with a strong focus in business development, project management and external communications.
Tiziano Lazzaretti, MBA
Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer
With a proven track record in driving growth and executing strategic transformations, Tiziano Lazzaretti brings deep expertise in biotech and pharmaceutical finance to NMS Group, supporting its next phase of innovation and expansion. His experience spans successful turnarounds, M&A transactions, and preparing biotech companies for IPOs on stock exchanges like Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange. Before joining NMS Group, Tiziano held executive roles at prominent companies, including FIAT Group, Walgreen Boots, Teva and biotech-focused start-ups, where he advanced corporate strategy and scaled financial operations to support high-stakes R&D initiatives.
In his previous role as CFO of a Swiss-based biotech platform, he guided financial strategy to ensure the sustainable growth of its innovative pipeline, emphasizing investment in transformative therapies. His leadership at NMS Group is now pivotal as the company continues to pursue cutting-edge oncology research, strengthen its asset portfolio, and build lasting value in precision medicine. His financial acumen and strategic insight position him as a key partner to the executive leadership team in delivering impactful biopharmaceutical advancements.
Scientific Advisory Board
NMS Scientific Advisory Board is composed of accomplished scientific and medical leaders in Oncology with significant expertise in immunotherapy, clinical development, and translational medicine.
David A. Barbie, MD
Overview
- Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)
- Principal Investigator of his laboratory at DFCI
- Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
- Associate Director of the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science
- Associate Member of the Broad Institute
- Active Clinician at the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, seeing patients
Education and Training
- Undergraduate degree from Harvard College
- M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School
- Completed Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Program Medical Student Research
- Fellowship at MGH Cancer Center
Professional Journey
- Completed MGH internal medicine residency and chief medical residency
- Dana-Farber Partners Oncology fellowship
- Post-doctoral work in Dr. William Hahn’s laboratory at DFCI and the Broad Institute
David Feltquate MD, PhD
Overview
- Chief Medical Officer at iTeos Therapeutics
- Chief Medical Officer at Palleon Pharmaceuticals
- Former Global Head of Hematology Development and Chair of the Precision Medicine Leadership Team at Novartis
- Previously held leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb, including Head of Oncology Early Clinical Development
Education and Training
- Bachelor of Science in Biology from MIT
- MD/PhD in Immunology from the University of Massachusetts Medical School
- Completed Internal Medicine training and served as Chief Resident at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
- Medical Oncology training at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Professional Journey
- Led clinical development of Nivolumab, the first PD-1 inhibitor, from proof of concept to initial registration in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma, and Renal Cell Carcinoma
Collaboration and Partnership
Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. is dedicated to the discovery and clinical development of Small Molecules and Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADC) as New Chemical Entities (NCEs) for oncology. We take innovative approaches targeting novel mechanisms of action and drug targets to deliver first- and best-in-class personalized cancer therapies.
Our pipeline, which originates from our validated oncology drug discovery platform, spans from early preclinical to clinical stage projects and is developed both in-house and through strategic partnerships.
A key strength is our renowned Kinase inhibitor drug discovery platform, featuring a constantly evolving chemical library, extensive intellectual property coverage, and cutting-edge technologies. This expertise has enabled us to out-license IP rights for breakthrough medicines like encorafenib and entrectinib. Additionally, we are advancing a proprietary payload platform designed for creating novel Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) with broad partnering potential.
We collaborate globally with academia, clinical investigators, and industry partners to drive our programs from early discovery to clinical development.
As we continue to innovate, we actively seek strategic collaborations to develop and commercialize our products in different markets, as well as in-licensing opportunities for promising clinical-stage assets.
If your company or organization would like to contact us, please submit your opportunity through collaboration@nervianoms.com.
Locations
Italy
Viale Pasteur, 10 -CP11
20014- Nerviano (Milano)
Italy
Tel. +39 0331 581111
info@nervianoms.com
U.S.
1 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02142
USA
Tel. +1 978 393 6767
Fax. +1 212 540 0715
info-nms-us@nervianoms.com