Medicine Strategist of the Year – Switzerland

How does medicine move forward? Progress is not simply a matter of scientific development, but a complex network of checks and balances that consider the market as well as the benefit to humanity as a whole. Dr. Sven Rohmann of Suenos Advisors is a leader in the field, recognised in the International Life Sciences Awards 2022 from GHP. We thought it time to take a closer look at the direction of his career and the secrets of his success.

The world of biotechnology is one brimming with potential. There is so much that could be done, if the right resources – financial and medical – were directed correctly. No one understands this better than Dr. Rohmann, who has spent his career finding ways of fulfilling potential. With years of expertise under his belt, Dr. Rohmann founded Suenos Advisors Est. in 2016 and has gone on to achieve overwhelming success as a result.

Suenos Advisors was specifically designed to work alongside the cutting-edge of the biotechnology industry, focusing on the fields of immunology, oncology, auto-immune diseases and vaccines. Since opening its doors, Suenos Advisors has taken an active role in the running of numerous organisations in the medical sector, including serving as CEO and/or member of the board of public companies such as Helix Pharmaceutical Corp., Oasmia Pharmaceutical AB and Immunicum AB.

Immunology has proven to be the foundation of most cutting-edge therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, supporting not only those companies which have been fighting Covid-19, but those which are tackling other diseases. The Life Science sector in which the Suenos Advisors team specialise has never been more vibrant and this has allowed the team to expand rapidly indeed. Currently, they have partners in Germany, Spain, Greece, Singapore and the USA, allowing them incredible access to the newest treatments that are being developed around the world.

This growth has been guided by the capable leadership of Dr. Rohmann. His unique mix of skills, drawing on scientific, pharma/biotech and venture knowledge as well as an impressive network of contacts in both the medical and financial sectors, has made him one of the world’s leading experts in innovation management as well as value building & capturing.

Dr. Rohmann’s incredible skill has been allowed to flourish over the years thanks to working within structures that have provided him with footholds not only in the medical industry, but in the financial structures that maintain them. Starting out at the renowned Merck Serono, he was proud to head up the establishment of Merck Oncology, building a complete clinical asset portfolio including the successful in-licensing of Erbitux, now valued at over $3bn annually.

From here, Dr. Rohmann became the Managing Partner of Nextech Venture in Switzerland, raising two funds that returned more than eight times their original values to the original investors. After 10 years Dr. Rohmann moved to become Venture Capital Fund Manager for a Novartis PharmaAG – MPM Capital fund ($0.55bn), and gained board experience at many SMEs across Europe, US and Canada. Having climbed the professional ladder, Dr. Rohmann’s career led him to become founding CEO of Ganymed Pharmaceuticals together with Oezlem Tuereci and Ugur Sahin, which was eventually sold to Astellas in 2016. This team was in charge of establishing Biontech, which became best known for its injectable mRNA  Covid-19 vaccine.

Recently, Dr. Rohmann has been collaborating with colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet in the development of a nasal inhaled vaccine for Covid-19. This new company has also begun work on vaccines for HIV and influenza and tuberculosis. All of these viruses have unique challenges, but can be fought in the same way. Both efficacious and swift to act, these solutions can have already an impact in a few hours instead of days!

Since these roles, however, Dr. Rohmann has focused on ensuring that Suenos Advisors has the strength and flexibility to thrive in the rapidly changing world of Life Science. He has built a business which embraces people who have unique qualities and competences, giving a diverse set of perspectives to any challenges that might arise. The ability of the company to look at assets and companies from a host of different viewpoints including the financing needs has been the key which has ensured that the team has remained so unique and competitive within the marketplace.

Looking to the future, Dr. Rohmann has taken an approach which embraces the holistic. He has looked into the history of medicine to uncover some of the ways in which ancient cultures tired to combat illnesses. Putting our modern knowledge into the context of these medical pioneers showcases that they were trying to achieve an immune health status. The lessons of the past that Dr. Rohmann has taken away is an awareness of the strong connection between the mind and body.

To meet the new challenges facing us, and the looming mental health crisis, Dr. Rohmann has started Apollon Health Advisors in Greece. This incredible new venture is designed to promote the connection between a healthy mind and a healthy body. For too long, we have seen these two parts of ourselves as separate, but the time has come to take a holistic view of our health. Doing so is a sure-fire way of having the largest positive impact on our futures.

To Dr. Rohmann, health is a topic which is becoming more and more important by the day. His exploration of the impact of the latest biotechnologies have not just flourished as a result of the medical developments, but thanks to the methods he has adopted in terms of investment. His achievements in this field are not over yet, as he pushes into bold new territory that combines the ideas of the past with the methods of tomorrow.

The challenges of the pandemic have not only demonstrated that soon more effective vaccines and rapid diagnostic will be needed in the future, but that people genuinely value the quality of their health. Combined with the most recent breakthroughs in this topic with regards to digital health and artificial intelligence, it’s little wonder that he sees enormous potential in the spaces where many are not looking. It’s in these spaces, that often seem small, that the biggest of impacts can be made.

For further information, please contact Dr. Sven Rohmann at Suenos Advisors.