About
SiSaf is delivering on the promise of RNA therapeutics to transform the treatment of disease
Our Story
The company’s Founder and CEO, Dr Suzanne Saffie-Siebert, had the vision of a new generation of hybrid drug delivery technology that would combine lipid nanoparticles with bioabsorbable silicon.
Suzanne’s vision was rooted in years of experience with both liposomes and silicon. She did her PhD thesis on the incorporation of plasmid DNA into liposomes and helped pioneer drug delivery with porous silicon at pSiMedica, a spin-out of Qinetiq. She hypothesized that silicon could be used to stabilize lipid nanoparticles and that in turn lipids would help control the biodegradation of Silicon.
With this vision, SiSaf began operating in 2008 with funding from Invest NI and the investment arm of the University of Ulster.
During SiSaf’s foundational years a small team worked on developing and optimising the new hybrid technology and generating safety and efficacy data. These data enabled SiSaf in 2016 to secure Series A funding to pivot from a University-based pre-seed company to an emerging biopharma company commercializing its delivery technology.
In 2019, Suzanne Saffie-Siebert made the strategic decision to focus SiSaf’s R&D activities on nucleic acid-based medicines. The company entered into a license and research agreement with the University of L’Aquila, Italy, for the development of siRNA therapies for rare skeletal diseases and partnered with Avellino Labs USA to co-develop topical gene therapies for corneal dystrophies.
In 2023, SiSaf’s lead program in Osteopetrosis received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from the FDA and the clinical path to IND has been agreed.
Our IP
SiSaf has built a continuously growing patent portfolio for both its pipeline and its technology.
A comprehensive patent landscape review by UK and U.S. patent attorneys concluded that SiSaf’s Bio-Courier technology is unencumbered by third-party rights and provides extensive freedom to operate.
Management Team
Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert
Founder and CEO
Inventor/co-inventor of numerous drug delivery patents
Has held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry for 20+ years (Director of Research at pSiMedica Ltd and Head of the Drug Delivery Centre at Dompé SpA, Italy)
PhD from the School of Pharmacy at the University of London
Richard Scarrott
Chief Financial Officer
Qualified FCA with 13 years with Arthur Andersen extensive with involvement in restructuring, corporate finance and M&A in the Healthcare industry
Former CFO for the public listing of Norwood Immunology on AIM with fund-raising and M&A activity.
Mike Mulqueen
Commercial Director
30+ years in big pharma and biotech
Senior alliance management roles with Roche
Senior business development positions with Silence Therapeutics and eTheRNA.
Led due diligence and negotiating teams in over 30 major deals
Dr. Michael Welsh
Chief Scientific Officer
25+ years of diversified biological sciences experience (microbiology, immunology, vaccines, diagnostics)
Former Head of the Virology Department of a UK government research institute
PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast
Dr. Nissim Torabi-Pour
Chief Technical Officer
Senior project management roles with biotech companies in UK and New Zealand
Research positions at the Mayo Clinic, USA, and Jena University, Germany
PhD from Queen Mary University of London
Andy Gibson
Head of Manufacture & Supply
Worked on projects worth over $100M and led operational teams of up to 150
Extensive experience in process/product development and product transfers
Management Team
Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert
Founder and CEO
Inventor/co-inventor of numerous drug delivery patents
Has held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry for 20+ years (Director of Research at pSiMedica Ltd and Head of the Drug Delivery Centre at Dompé SpA, Italy)
PhD from the School of Pharmacy at the University of London
Richard Scarrott
Chief Financial Officer
Qualified FCA with 13 years with Arthur Andersen extensive with involvement in restructuring, corporate finance and M&A in the Healthcare industry
Former CFO for the public listing of Norwood Immunology on AIM with fund-raising and M&A activity.
Mike Mulqueen
Commercial Director
Senior alliance management roles with Roche
Senior business development positions with Silence Therapeutics and eTheRNA.
Led due diligence and negotiating teams in over 30 major deals
Dr. Michael Welsh
Chief Scientific Officer
Former Head of the Virology Department of a UK government research institute
PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast
Dr. Nissim Torabi-Pour
Chief Technical Officer
Senior project management roles with biotech companies in UK and New Zealand
Research positions at the Mayo Clinic, USA, and Jena University, Germany
PhD from Queen Mary University of London
Andy Gibson
Head of Manufacture & Supply
Worked on projects worth over $100M and led operational teams of up to 150
Extensive experience in process/product development and product transfers
Advisors
Prof. Achim Aigner, PhD
Professor for Clinical Pharmacology University of Leipzig
Research focus on tumor-relevant, coding and non-coding genes and secondary resistance mechanisms in tumor treatment
Prof. Anna Maria Teti, PhD
Professor of Histology and Embryology University of L’Aquila
Former Treasurer and President of the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS)
Prof. Tara Moore, PhD
Professor for Personalised Medicine University of Ulster
Chief R&D Officer for Avellino Labs, USA
Prof. John Marshall, PhD
Frost Professor of Ophthalmology University College London
50 years academic career in ophthalmology
Todd E. Schlesinger, MD
Director of Clinical Research Center of the Carolinas
Principal Investigator in numerous clinical trials
Advisors
Prof. Achim Aigner, PhD
Professor for Clinical Pharmacology University of Leipzig
Research focus on tumor-relevant, coding and non-coding genes and secondary resistance mechanisms in tumor treatment
Prof. Anna Maria Teti, PhD
Professor of Histology and Embryology University of L’Aquila
Former Treasurer and President of the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS)
Prof. Tara Moore, PhD
Professor for Personalised Medicine University of Ulster
Chief R&D Officer for Avellino Labs, USA
Prof. John Marshall, PhD
Frost Professor of Ophthalmology University College London
50 years academic career in ophthalmology
Todd E. Schlesinger, MD
Director of Clinical Research Center of the Carolinas
Principal Investigator in numerous clinical trials
Board
Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert
Founder and CEO
Inventor/co-inventor of numerous drug delivery patents
Has held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry for 20+ years (Director of Research at pSiMedica Ltd and Head of the Drug Delivery Centre at Dompé SpA, Italy)
PhD from the School of Pharmacy at the University of London
Dr. Richard Goodfellow
Board Member
Former CEO of immuno-oncology company Scancell and Founder of functional genomics company Paradigm Therapeutics
PhD from University of Liverpool
Dr. Finian Tan
Board Member
20+ years in banking and venture capital
Former Managing Director at Credit Suisse First Boston
Largest investor and shareholder of Baidu as Managing Director and Head of Asia for DFJ ePlanet
Former Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore
PhD from Cambridge University and D.Univ from Glasgow University
Dr. Elkhalil Binebine
Board Member
Financier and investor for 30+ years
Previously, he was a practising M.D. and personal physician to Malcolm Forbes
MD from La Sorbonne
Dr. Damian Kelly
Board Member
20+ years in business development and leadership roles at Croda
PhD from Cambridge University
Eric M. Attias
Board Member
30+ years in finance & institutional investment
Founder of Forepont Capital Partners
Co-Founder of $4 bn Nexar Capital Group (sold to bank UBP)
CEO & board member of $10 bn AUM Société Générale Asset Management Inc.
CEO & board member of $15 bn AUM bank UBP LLC
MBA from Columbia University
Neil Simms
Board Member
20+ years in investment management
Trained and qualified as Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young
Tim Brundle
Board Member
Director of Research and Impact at Ulster University
Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Ulster Ltd
Executive MBA and Master of Medical Science from Queen’s University, Belfast
Board
Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert
Founder and CEO
Inventor/co-inventor of numerous drug delivery patents
Has held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry for 20+ years (Director of Research at pSiMedica Ltd and Head of the Drug Delivery Centre at Dompé SpA, Italy)
PhD from the School of Pharmacy at the University of London
Dr Richard Goodfellow
Board Member
Former CEO of immuno-oncology company Scancell and Founder of functional genomics company Paradigm Therapeutics
PhD from University of Liverpool
Dr. Finian Tan
Board Member
Founder and Chairman of Vickers Venture Partners
20+ years in banking and venture capital
Former Managing Director at Credit Suisse First Boston
Largest investor and shareholder of Baidu as Managing Director and Head of Asia for DFJ ePlanet
Former Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore
PhD from Cambridge University and D.Univ from Glasgow University
Dr. Elkhalil Binebine
Board Member
Financier and investor for 30+ years
Previously, he was a practising M.D. and personal physician to Malcolm Forbes
MD from La Sorbonne
Dr. Damian Kelly
Board Member
20+ years in business development and leadership roles at Croda
PhD from Cambridge University
Eric M. Attias
Board Member
Founder of Forepont Capital Partners
Co-Founder of $4 bn Nexar Capital Group (sold to bank UBP)
CEO & board member of $10 bn AUM Société Générale Asset Management Inc.
CEO & board member of $15 bn AUM bank UBP LLC
MBA from Columbia University
Neil Simms
Board Member
20+ years in investment management
Trained and qualified as Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young
Tim Brundle
Board Member
Director of Research and Impact at Ulster University
Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Ulster Ltd
Executive MBA and Master of Medical Science from Queen’s University, Belfast
