Targa Biomedical | Team
MANAGEMENT
Der SARKISSIAN Shant, PhD, MBA
Co-founder, President and CEO
Dr Shant Der Sarkissian is the scientific and business co-founder of Targa Biomedical and is responsible for the company’s business and strategic implementations. Dr Der Sarkissian obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the Université de Montréal, Postdoctorate in Physiology and Functional Genomics from University of Florida, and MBA in entrepreneurship from HEC Business School. Dr Der Sarkissian is an Adjunct Professor at the Université de Montréal Department of Surgery and possesses extensive experience in cardiovascular research, drug development, gene and cell therapy. He is author/co-author in over 85 peer-reviewed publications including original manuscripts, abstracts, book chapters and invention patents. He has a strong track record in developing and managing large‐scale university and industry partnership projects, and has mobilized millions in funding through grants, research contracts and private financing. Dr Der Sarkissian holds various administrative appointments in academic and private sectors and serves as Director of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal Axis II of the Quebec cell, tissue and gene therapy network ThéCell.
NOISEUX Nicolas, MD, MSc
Co-founder and CMO
Dr Nicolas Noiseux is a cardiac surgeon, Director of research in cardiovascular surgery at the CHUM, and full professor at the Université de Montréal. As scientific co‐founder and CMO, Dr Noiseux is responsible for the scientific development and clinical translation of Targa Biomedical’s technologies. Dr Noiseux obtained his MD and MSc degrees in molecular biology at the Université Laval after a Baccalaureate in Biochemistry. Following his training in cardiac surgery at the Université de Montréal, he completed his research fellowship at Harvard. He is an independent researcher at the CHUM Research Center and Senior clinician‐research scientist scholar from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec en Santé. Dr Noiseux leads a cutting-edge translational research program and several clinical trials addressing key questions in regenerative and cardiovascular medicine. He is author and co‐author of over 150 referred manuscripts in high impact journals, over 300 scientific meeting presentations and 80 invited presentations worldwide. Dr Noiseux possesses unique surgical skills in preclinical experimental models mimicking a variety of human diseases. His team is the first in North America to have developed autologous CD133+ stem cell transplantation to treat heart failure.
ADVISORS
BERAUD Frank, President and CEO – Montreal InVivo
Business Advisor
Holding more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector, Mr. Beraud has particularly acquired a solid expertise in business development. With a background in sales and marketing within multinationals in the field of clinical diagnostics, his career path has led him to assume responsibility for business development for an SME in the domain of biotechnology, in addition to working as a consultant within the industry as well as a technology transfer organization. Mr. Beraud has also worked on managing the policies and strategic development of an industrial association in the life sciences sector before joining Montréal InVivo’s team. Highly socially engaged in education, the health and homelessness, he currently chairs the board of directors of the charitable organization Cancer Computer, which aims to provide leading researchers with the computing power of refurbished supercomputers.
BRUNELLE Stephane, CEO – Chamber of Notaries of Quebec
Business Advisor
Legal advisor and notary since 1988, Mtre Stéphane Brunelle has primarily acted in corporate financing and as senior then first counsel for a major financial institution in the Province of Quebec. Prior to his function as CEO at the Chamber of Notaries, he acted as counsel for advocates and notaries in connection with professional liabilities, corporate financing, in trust accounting, governance and ethics. As lecturer for his colleagues at the Université de Montréal, Université d’Ottawa and Université de Sherbrooke, Mtre Brunelle has published on various subjects in connection with his competencies. He is a member of the Chambre des Experts en Copropriété de Paris, and as CEO of the Chambre des Notaires du Québec, he is highly engaged in legal education.
CAUDRELIER Pierre, CMO and Operations Officer – Excelthera
Medical and Regulatory Advisor
Pierre Caudrelier obtained his degree in medicine from University of Paris and holds a degree in applied epidemiology and biostatistics from the Universities of Tours and Bordeaux. During the past 30 years, he has held various senior and management positions and has acquired sound R&D expertise with major pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in the fields of immunology, transplantation, cell therapy and oncology. Before joining ExCellThera, he successively held the positions of clinical program director of Sanofi Pasteur, Vice President, Scientific and Medical Affairs of I.D.M. Biotech, Vice President, Clinical and Medical Affairs of CelmedBioSciences – Kiadis Pharma, and General Manager of its North-American subsidiary, and Chief Medical Officer of Theratechnologies.
CHICHE Dan, CEO & CMO– Kompas Medical Services
Medical and Regulatory Advisor
Dan Chiche has a successful 20 year career history in the top tier pharmaceutical companies (Glaxo and Bristol-Myers Squibb) as an executive in Clinical Research and Medical Affairs. Dan was NEOMED’s Chief Medical Officer, a novel type of organization which pioneers an approach to bridge the gap between early innovations and the health care needs of society. He is a Medical Doctor with additional training in biostatistics (Master) and business administration. He has been involved in key clinical development of compounds in various therapeutic areas, including infectious diseases, HIV, hepatitis, influenza, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, COPD, asthma, pain, fibrosis and oncology and is fully familiarized with clinical research standards: ICH, FDA and EMEA. As an executive manager, he has been directly involved in the optimization of human resources and processes to deliver, on schedule, high quality outputs in clinical research and medical affairs. In 2007, Dan founded Kompas Medical Services, a company providing services to Biotechs, Pharmas, and other institutions. Dan was a member of board of directors of 3 biotechnology companies based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
FERRARO Pasquale, Chief of Thoracic Surgery – CHUM, Professor Department of Surgery – Université de Montréal, Chairman – Thoracic Surgery Research Foundation of Montreal
Medical and Scientific Advisor
Dr Ferraro is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and full professor at the Université de Montréal. A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal in 1988, Dr. Ferraro completed a residency in general surgery, then in thoracic surgery in Quebec. He then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in thoracic surgery and lung transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh. Upon his return to Montreal in 1997, he obtained the position of Surgical Director of the Lung Transplant Program at the University of Montreal. Dr Ferraro was appointed Associate Professor in 2003, Chair in Thoracic and Lung Transplantation in 2008, and Division Head in Thoracic Surgery in 2009. Dr Ferraro leads the Ex vivo lung transplantation research and clinical program at the CHUM.
LAMONTAGNE Michel, Tax lawyer, Board member and governance expert
Business Advisor
Michel Lamontagne is a tax lawyer by training, a member of the Quebec Bar (LL.L), a graduate of the Collège des administrateurs du Québec and a certified company director (ASC / C.Dir.). He works mainly as board member with public, parapublic, private and philanthropic organizations, in the field of financial institutions, health, the environment, medical information and technologies, governance and planned giving. He has always pursued his professional career with active community involvement in the areas of business, health, philanthropy, youth, disadvantaged families and the arts.
