Steering Committee
Our Steering Committee is formed by professionals endowed with very deep experience in life sciences, acquired within pharma, biotech and service companies.
The main responsibility of the Steering Committee is to assist the Managing Director of Rare Partners in identifying the best development strategy and selecting the best CROs, service companies and consultants for each specific project.
Marco Prosdocimi
Marco is Managing Director of Rare Partners since its foundation in March 2010. He collaborates as a consultant with Pharmaceutical Companies, with Investment Funds and with Research Organizations since 1996, focusing his activity in the areas of Research & Development.
Prior to this he rose to Research & Development Director at Fidia Research Laboratories during a 15-year career (1981-1996) with the company. Marco has more than 35 years of experience in R&D, gained in Academic Institutions (University of Padova and Thomas Jefferson University) and in companies, including CM&D Pharma, PharmEste and Angelini Ricerche.
He has been and is member of the scientific board of several biotech companies and collaborates with public and private institutions for the review of scientific projects and business plans. Marco is author of more than 120 papers, 200 abstracts and several patents, on cardiovascular and autonomic pharmacology, both at preclinical and clinical level.
Marco holds a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Padova.
Germano Carganico
Germano is General Manager at MolMed since January 2011, with responsibility for the areas of Research & Development and Operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in R&D, regulatory affairs and company management, gained in pharmaceutical and biotech companies, such as Farmitalia Carlo Erba, Menarini and Axxam. Germano has successfully managed the international registration of several new pharmaceutical products and has been founding partner of two leading consulting companies in the field of life sciences, Pharma Quality Europe and Regulatory Pharma Net.
He is member of the scientific board of several biotech companies and collaborates with public and private institutions for the review of scientific projects and the support to new start-up initiatives.
In the last years he served as General Manager of Toscana Life Sciences foundation and has taught Business Development at the University of Siena.
Germano holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Milan.
Anita Falezza
Anita founded Regulatory Pharma Net s.r.l. in 1999, after having held various positions in the pharmaceutical industry since 1989, such as Regulatory Affairs Director, International Regulatory Affairs Manager, Study Director.
Her activities are focused in consulting and strategic coordination of Drug Development and Regulatory Affairs projects in Europe. Anita has directly participated in Price and Reimbursement procedures, Scientific Advice, Paediatric Investigation Plans, Orphan Drug Designations, Drug Development Plans, Centralised, Decentralised, and Mutual Recognition Procedures and Due Diligences, being in continuous contact with national and international regulatory authorities.
She has remarkable experience in Innovative Products, Anticancer Products, Biological and Biotechnological Products, and Advanced Therapies.
Anita holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pisa.
Fabrizio Minoja
Fabrizio is partner at Bianchetti Bracco Minoja (BBM), a patent attorney’s firm representing national and international companies and research institutes, active in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological field. He qualified as European Patent Attorney in 1986.
Fabrizio has been appointed official expert of the Court of Milan and Turin in validity and infringement proceedings and has lectured at the University of Milan and at the Basic European Patent Law courses, Centre d'Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle (CEIPI), Robert Schumann University, in Strasburg.
Fabrizio graduated in Chemistry at the University of Milan.
Massimiliano Mostardini
Massimiliano is the founding Partner of Bird & Bird’s Milan office. He has developed a highly regarded reputation for his work in the IP, e-commerce, IT and telecommunications fields.
He is providing legal assistance to leading Italian and international companies in the Intellectual Property field as well as legal consultancy on trade marks, patents, copyright, advertising, unfair competition law matters and patent litigation.
Massimiliano regularly advises national and international companies in the telecommunications industry commercial, contractual and technical issues and handles their relationship with the Italian authorities.
Ennio Ongini
Ennio Ongini Vice President of Research at Nicox. He has more than 30 years of experience in drug discovery in a broad range of therapeutic areas, including neurology, cardiovascular, pain and ophthalmology. Ennio has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is inventor or coinventor in more than 50 patents.
Ennio held a position as a visiting scientist at the National Institute of Health in Rome and various senior level positions at the Schering-Plough Research Institute, including the position of site director at the research center located in the San Raffaele Science Park in Milan. Since 2001 he has been in charge of drug research at NicOx where he has activated and coordinated several projects in the field of nitric oxide donation.
He acts as a referee for scientific journals and is also involved in evaluating research projects on behalf of the European Community, national agencies and the leading venture capital fund Index Ventures (Geneva). Ennio graduated in Biological Sciences followed by post-graduate degrees in both Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Milan.
Elisabeth Robinson
Elizabeth Robinson, co-founder of NicOx, has served as the President of the NicOx Research Institute Srl since January 2006. She has extensive experience in the development of innovative pharmaceutical products.
She is a founding member and shareholder of Relivia Srl, an Italian company specializing in dermatology. She was Chairman of the Board of Directors of LayLine Genomics (2007-2008), Director of Development at Recordati Italy (1990-1996), a consultant in technological development for Techint Engineering Company (1988-1990), Vice President, New Technology Ventures, at Genzyme (1985-1988), a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1984-1987), an assistant at MIT (1983) and a postdoctorate research assistant at MIT (1982-1984).
Betsy is a member of “Italian Angels for Growth” and “First Generation” in Italy. She is also a member of the Fulbright Commission in Italy and of the Board of Directors of Biogenera.
Betsy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College in 1977. She received a Master in Chemistry and a Doctorate in biotechnology from MIT in 1979 and 1982, respectively.
Alessandro Sidoli
Alessandro is a co-founder of Axxam and Chief Executive Officer. Since 2003 he has been Vice-President of Assobiotec, the Italian Association for the development of the biotech industry, and in May 2010 he was appointed President.
He was the founder of the Italian biotech company Primm, one of Italy's first biotech start-ups, and continues to act as Chairman. He is also member of the Board of Directors of Externautics SpA.
Alessandro served as Director of Biotechnology Transfer at the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Milan and previously as head of the Department of Biotechnology at the Istituto Sieroterapico Milanese in Milan.
He was later a Research Scientist at the Biotechnology Department of Farmitalia Carlo Erba in Milan.
Alessandro received his degree in Biology from the University of Pavia and conducted research at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at the Oxford University, United Kingdom.