Careers
Working towards tomorrow’s therapies for today’s unmet needs
We know you would love being part of a highly motivated team passionate about making unprecedented therapies available to patients.
We develop drug candidates to advance into the clinic with pharmaceutical partners
New solutions and new therapies need new avenues to reach them. The age of cells producing biological compounds has achieved a lot for human medicine, but its means are coming to an end. A step change in technology is required to unleash the potential of molecules we didn’t dream we would discover – or be able to create if we did.
ELEVA is opening this realm of unprecedented therapies with the help of an inconspicuous but incredibly efficient tool: Bryophyta, more commonly known as moss. This ancient organism holds the key to the therapies of the future. Moss plants are not only able to produce the most complex and demanding proteins; with their unique characteristics, they virtually invite easy, stable engineering and reliable output.
Company
Business model
At Eleva ...
… we develop complex proteins into tomorrow’s drugs in partnership with pharmaceutical companies
… we unlock the potential of difficult compounds that have so far failed to get expressed
… we explore unusual opportunities in other promising fields
We have successfully developed enzymes and other proteins into clinical stages and continue to scout for promising compounds. This results in a plethora of opportunities. Whilst our technology platform remains the property of Eleva, new individual assets will be developed in cooperation with pharmaceutical partners. Each of such partnerships will be taken into a newly formed subsidiary. This allows the partners to focus on the respective indication.
Management
Making unprecedented and much-needed therapies happen
Eleva’s management is driven by making unprecedented and much-needed therapies happen. With our moss-based platform, we are going to translate the features of this ancient plant into the therapies of tomorrow.
PD Dr. Björn Cochlovius
CEO
Björn has 27 years of experience in academia and industry. Before joining Eleva, he acquired ample know-how, spanning R&D, strategy, and business development, while working at several prestigious scientific institutions and enterprises. Björn’s career has included positions at the German Cancer Research Institute (DKFZ), where he headed the Department for Recombinant Antibodies, Affitech, where he was the Head of R&D, Roche, where he served as Director of Business Development, and Ciliatech, where he was an Interim CEO. Björn also had several opportunities to contribute his expertise to reputable companies in Asia, including as Head of Oncology at Otsuka NP in Tokushima, Japan and Head Development for Japan-Asia-Pacific AbbVie in Singapore.
Björn is a Co-Founder of Medraxa Therapeutics in Heidelberg and he has also served as a Chairman for numerous companies, including Sapreme in Utrecht and Karolinska Development in Stockholm.
Andreas Schaaf
Managing Director | CSO
Andreas holds a PhD in plant biotechnology. Before joining Eleva as research scientist in 2009, he held positions at the University of Muenster and Freiburg, Germany. At Eleva, Andreas was responsible for advancing BryoTechnology to a fully viable biopharmaceutical platform. Andreas has been Chief Scientific Officer since 2015 and was appointed Managing Director at the end of 2019.
Jana Gross
Director Business Development
Jana holds a Master’s Degree in biology from Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany. She worked in Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer before moving to an international pharmaceutical company, where she managed Global Licensing & Business Alliances. Jana has been the Manager of Business Development at Eleva since October 2019.
Danielle Püschel
Chief Financial Officer | CFO
Danielle joined Eleva in 2009 as Chief Financial Officer, after 25 years’ experience as a tax advisor for several small and medium-sized companies. At Eleva, Danielle is responsible for finances.
Karin Heidenreich
Senior Director Clinical Program
Karin graduated in chemistry at the University of Leipzig, Germany. Before joining Eleva in 2018, she held various positions in academia and in global pharmaceutical companies, covering sales and medical affairs. At Eleva she leads clinical program activities and is responsible for collaborating with medical and patient organizations as well as key medical advisors.
Andreas Busch
Chief Operations Officer | COO
Andreas earned his PhD at the University of Münster, Germany, after graduating in biology from Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany. He worked as a post-doc in Münster and at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Andreas joined Eleva in 2013 and is now responsible for Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
Advisory Board
Tapping into world-class expertise with our advisors
Eleva is fortunate to be able to tap into world-class expertise. We deeply value the guidance given by the following specialists:
Günter Steffen
Chair of Board
Dr. Gerhard Ries
Co-Chair of Board
Prof. Dr. Joachim Cyran
Member of the Board
Dr. Martin Griot
Member of the Board
Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski
Member of the Board
Thomas Villinger
Member of the Board
Dr. Wieland Wolf
Member of the Board
Company values
Eleva’s company values ensure that relationships with partners and employees are guided by reliability and respect. Quality is the prime goal throughout the company. Our guidelines are continuously reviewed.
Our success is based on our highly motivated staff. We have zero tolerance for discrimination of employees on the grounds of their sexual orientation, sex, ethnicity, religion, family status, age, or disability. We provide a safe workplace as well as continuous training and respect of privacy for every staff member.