Ignacio Faus

CEO

Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Indiana University (1988), where he worked under the supervision of Prof. John P. Richardson

• MBA from the J.L.Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University (1993).
• Post-doctoral research at the IGBMC (Prof. P. Chambon, Strasbourg, France) and at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Prof. E. Fuchs, Chicago, USA).
• Joined Grupo Uriach in 1993 as Director of the Biotechnology Business Unit.
• In 1999 became Director of Business Development & Licensing of Grupo Uriach until his appointment as the CEO of Palau Pharma, S.A. in November 2006.

Manel Barallat

CFO

BA in Business Administration from the University of Barcelona (2000) and MBA from Columbia Business School (2006).

• Investment Banker from 2000 in Spain and the UK, focused on M&A and Corporate Finance at Rothschild, Goldman Sachs and PwC Corporate Finance.
• Joined Palau Pharma as CFO in October 2008.

Xavi Bartrolí

Director of Innovation and Drug Discovery

Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (1984), where he worked under the direction of Professor David Evans at Caltech and Harvard University.

• 25 years of pharmaceutical R&D experience.
• Appointed Head of Medicinal Chemistry at Grupo Uriach in 1986 and Head of the Drug Discovery Unit in 2000.
• Joined Palau Pharma, S.A. in November 2006 as Director of Innovation and Drug Discovery.

Manuel Merlos

Director of Drug Development and Clinical Research

Ph.D. in Pharmacy, University of Barcelona (1989), where he is Associate Professor of Pharmacology.

• Over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D.
• Headed the Biological Unit at Grupo Uriach from 2000 to November 2006, coordinating the activities of the Departments of Screening, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics.
• In November 2006 he was appointed Director of Drug Development and Clinical Research at Palau Pharma, S.A

Neus Virgili

Head of Patents & Legal Affairs

B.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Barcelona (1990) and a Qualified European Patent Attorney.

• Over 15 years experience in pharmaceutical IP.
• Joined Grupo Uriach in 1991 in order to coordinate the Company's patent activities.
• In 1999, she became Head of Patents, the post she currently holds in Palau Pharma, S.A.
• Since 2009 she also coordinates all legal issues within the Company.

Heidi Sisniega

Head of Business Development & Licensing

Chemical Engineer from the Instituto Químico de Sarriá, Barcelona (1994), and Masters in Biotechnology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (1999).

• Almost 15 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Joined Grupo Uriach in 1996 to work in the Biotechnology Business Unit. In 1999 she joined the Screening Department at the R&D Unit. In 2003 she started working in the Business Development & Licensing Department.
• In November 2006 she was appointed Head of Business Development of Palau Pharma, S.A.

Caridad Pontes

Head of Clinical Research & Regulatory Affairs

MD by Autonomous University of Barcelona (1990), Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology by Spanish Ministry of Health (1994) and PhD in Medicine and Surgery by Autonomous University of Barcelona (2004).

• 5 years of hospital experience at the Clinical Pharmacology Service at Vall d'Hebron Hospitals (Barcelona).
• Joined the Clinical Pharmacology Department at Grupo Uriach on 1996, to work in early phase clinical trials.
• On 2001 moved as Head of Clinical Pharmacology to Laboratorios Vita (Barcelona), until the company was acquired by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals in 2004; she became Senior Scientist for European Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology at P&GP.
• Appointed Head of Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs at Palau Pharma, S.A. in December 2006.