Blue Bees Therapeutics is developing First-in-Class immunotherapies against cancer, based on a breakthrough technology from the CEA Paris-Saclay, allowing the generation of a series of MAbs potentiating the anti-tumor immune response. Our first drug candidate BB10x is ready to enter regulatory preclinal development to reach firt-in-human trials

Board of Directors

Philippe Berthon, PhD

Chairman of the board, co-founder

Philippe has held several leadership positions as CEO in biotech and medtech. Philippe was CEO of Culture Top (sold to Eurofins in 2021), Tridek One, Aurgalys (sold to Genesta/In extenso in 2018), Vaxon-Biotech and UroGene (sold to Pierre Fabre in 2004). Also he co-founded and led, up to 1999, the Research Urology Dept at Hospital St Louis in Paris. As such, he has an extensive background in strategic planning, financing, operations, business development & R&D with > 50 international scientific publications.

Philippe holds a PhD in Reproduction Physiology, Sorbonne Univ. (PM Curie) and a business management diploma from HEC.


Michel Léonetti, PhD

Director, co-founder

Michel has been a research fellow at the Joliot Institute, CEA Saclay since 1990, with more than 20 years of experience in the identification of the molecular mechanisms governing the immunogenicity of proteins. Consequently, Michel has been at the forefront of discovering new technologies in the field of vaccination and immunotherapy, which has led to the filing of six patents.

Also, in October 2016, Michel successfully co-founded H-Immune, a biotechnology company, which was sold to HiFiBio at the end of 2018.

Michel holds a PhD in immunology from the University of Paris-Saclay.

Nabil Gharios

Director, co-founder

Managing Partner at Auriga Partners, a pioneering venture capital management firm in France since 1998, also managing founder of Biotech Promise, an investment fund specialized in Biotechnologies. Formerly, CEO of DNA Finance, a healthcare strategic consulting firm, Nabil has over 20-year experience working in M&A, financial advisory and consulting for the Life Science sector. He started at SG Cowen in NYC and then was an associate at Bioam, a VC biotech fund. Nabil also worked at Abbott, heading the business development team and AEC-Partners, a strategy consulting firm in Paris.

Nabil holds an MSc in Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris.

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Hélène Peyro-Saint-Paul,
MD, MBA

Director

Currently Chief Executive Officer of ORAO Healthcare, a strategy consulting firm, Helene also acts as independent director on two biotech boards. Expert evaluator & start-up mentor at EITHealth, she is an active member of Angels Santé, a prominent French business angel network dedicated to life sciences. Prior to these roles, Helene held Chief Medical Officer positions at Pathoquest and Halio Dx (which she co-founded). Previously, she served in international leadership Medical Affairs and business positions at Qiagen, BMS, Actelion and Serono.

Hélène obtained her MD as neurologist at Toulouse University Hospital, being chief-resident, and holds an Executive MBA from ESSEC Business School.

Thomas-Paul Descamps

Director

Thomas-Paul is currently CEO of Jellagen based in UK, and has held senior positions in sales, marketing and business development at Actelion, Ipsen and Allergan, previously in global pharmaceutical players. Furthermore, he held for the last 15 years, board sits in several biotech companies and has successfully raised £15M+. 

Thomas-Paul holds a master's degree in general management from the University Paris IX Dauphine and a diploma of finance and marketing from Sciences-Po Paris.

Executive Management

Philippe Berthon, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Philippe has held several leadership positions as CEO in biotech and medtech. Philippe was CEO of Culture Top (sold to Eurofins in 2021), Tridek One, Aurgalys (sold to Genesta in 2018), Vaxon-Biotech and UroGene (sold to Pierre Fabre in 2004). Also he co-founded and led up to 1999, the Research Urology Dept at Hospital St Louis in Paris. As such, he has an extensive background in strategic planning, financing, operations, business development & R&D with > 50 international scientific publications.

Philippe holds a PhD in Reproduction Physiology, Sorbonne Univ. (PM Curie) and a business management diploma from HEC.

Michel Léonetti, PhD


Chief Scientific Officer*

Michel has been a research fellow at the Joliot Institute, CEA Saclay since 1990, with more than 20 years of experience in the identification of the molecular mechanisms governing the immunogenicity of proteins. Consequently, Michel has been at the forefront of discovering new technologies in the field of vaccination and immunotherapy, which has led to the filing of six patents. Also, in October 2016, Michel successfully co-founded H-Immune, a biotechnology company, which was sold to HiFiBio at the end of 2018.

Michel holds a PhD in immunology from the University of Paris-Saclay.

*Currently a CEA researcher, acting in an advisory capacity, to join the company as a permanent collaborator under the Series A funding


Marie-Noëlle Ly, PharmD

Chief Development Officer

Marie-Noëlle has held positions as head of pharmaceutical development, from the preclinical stage up to the CTA/IND for the launch of Phase I to Phase III clinical trials, at Quantum Genomics, at Biophytis. Prior to these positions, she managed the drug formulation activity at Drugabilis for six years. 

Marie-Noëlle obtained her PharmD from Université Paris-Saclay and holds a master's degree in drug production.

Noëlle Couget


Chief Financial Officer

Noëlle is an experienced CFO acting in the biotech industry for the last 25 years. Appointed in july 2022 part-time CFO of Blue Bees Therapeutics, she also currently serves as CFO of Genosafe. Former CFO of Aurgalys, also CEO of Biosupport where she acted on behalf of more than 15 biotechs within which she developed solid administrative, legal, accounting and financial bases allowing them to meet the requirements of their due diligence and growth.

Graduated in finance, holder of the IFA diploma (Institut Français des Administrateurs), she is a recognized specialist in French research tax credit.


Advisory Committee

Pascale Altier

Pascale is an innovation consultant in the life sciences through the biotech, medtech and e-health ecosystem. Pascale is a member of the scientific committee and of the ethics committee of the National Cancer Institute (INCa), a member of the ethics committee of the Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF). Previously, she was successively general manager of biotech incubators at the Institut Pasteur, then of Ipeps-ICM at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. Before, she was project manager at Genopole, at BioCrit in Paris Ile-de-France, and worked as a marketing manager for the medtech company Inoteb.

Pascal is a graduate in biology from the University of Paris-Est Créteil

Caroline Boulliat-Moulle, PharmD

Caroline is CEO of Genchrome LtD, a strategic health consulting company based in London, UK. She possesses an US and Europe experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, in general management, sales and marketing, market access and business development. Previously she was country manager UK/Ireland at Amgen, global team leader at Pfizer. Caroline has also held key strategic positions at MSD, GSK, UCB and Gilead.

Caroline holds a Pharm D degree from Lyon University and a Master degree in Marketing from Paris-Saclay University.

Since November 2019, Caroline is Governor of the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust.

Mathieu Chatain

Mathieu is a managing partner at Auriga Partners, a pioneering venture capital management firm in France since 1998.  He is associated to the management of the Auriga life sciences and health funds, also supervising finances, investor relations and ESG. Previously he was chief financial officer of several start-up, including Wibilong which was acquired by the Teleperformance group, leader in its market. He started as a project manager at OSEO (now BPI France),  before joining HSBC in corporate banking.

Mathieu holds a master's degree in finance from Paris-Dauphine University as well as an AMF - Autorité des Marchés Financiers certification.

Marie-Charlotte Le Goff, Pharm D

Marie-Charlotte is head of market access and member of the management committee of AbbVie France. With 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, she has developed a large expertise in the launch of innovative drugs, particularly in oncology, and is specialized in defining pricing and reimbursement strategies. Marie-Charlotte is also a member of the FBA (Women Business Angels) network in France.

Marie-Charlotte obtained her pharmacy degree from Rennes University and holds a master degree in Strategy from ESSEC.

Karine Samama, MBA

Karine is life sciences partner at Porshe Consulting France, being an expert in digital strategy and transformation in the field of health and life sciences. Previously, she was Chief Strategy Officer at Microsoft Health & Life Sciences, consultant for life sciences and health, both in M&A, as well as for strategic corporate finance transactions at Iqvia, AEC Partners, and Hitachi Consulting .

Karine is also business angel, and member of the board of several biotech companies.

Karine holds a MBA from the University of Kent (UK), an executive diploma from Insead (France), a DESS in International Trade from IAE Lyon 3 (France) and ENI Milan (Italy).