Company

Pharmamel is a prominent biotechnology R&D&i company, emerging as an Andalusian spin-off from the University of Granada and the Andalusian Health Service.

About us

Pharmamel, S.L., a prominent biotechnological R&D company, was established in 2014 as an Andalusian spin-off from the University of Granada and the Andalusian Health Service. Its core commitment is in the research, development, and commercialization of innovative drugs based on melatonin and its significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These drugs are specifically designed to address pathologies characterized by inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial damage, with a particular focus on sepsis, a severe disease triggered by an excessive immune response to bacterial and viral infections.

Sepsis, by triggering a multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Recent statistics reveal a concerning prevalence of this disease, with over 50 million people affected globally and a mortality rate ranging between 25% and 30%, with an annual increase of 9%. Moreover, sepsis survivors often face significant long-term health complications.

The economic impact associated with sepsis is considerable, with healthcare costs around 30,000 dollars per patient in the United States and similar figures in the European Union. Despite this financial and health burden, there is currently no specific treatment for this condition. In line with this urgent need, the World Health Organization urges all countries to research and develop therapies aimed at preventing and treating sepsis.

In this context, Pharmamel positions itself as a crucial player in the search for effective therapeutic solutions for this disease. Under the scientific leadership of the distinguished professors of Physiology at the University of Granada, Darío Acuña-Castroviejo and Germaine Escames, the University of Granada, the Andalusian Health Service, and Pharmamel have developed and patented a new intravenous melatonin drug for sepsis, successfully tested in two Phase II clinical trials, proving its effectiveness, efficacy, and safety.

The results strongly support the new drug and the business project of Pharmamel, which is why the company is opening a new capital increase to raise the necessary resources to bring this new drug to market (requiring a Phase III clinical trial) and to go public.

Founding Partners and Team

Darío Acuña Castroviejo
Darío Acuña Castroviejo Ph.D.- Scientific Director and Co-Founder
Darío Acuña Castroviejo is a Professor of Physiology at the University of Granada and a Specialist in Clinical Analysis at the San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. He belongs to the CTS-101 research group: Intercellular Communication, to CIBERfes, CIBER of aging and frailty of ISCIII, and to Ibs.Granada, led by Prof. Germaine Escames. The main focus of his scientific activity is melatonin and mitochondria, with over 250 scientific publications.
Germaine Escames
Germaine Escames Ph.D.- Scientific Director and Co-Founder
Germaine Escames is a Professor of Physiology at the University of Granada. She specializes in Clinical Biochemistry and is the director of the Research Group CTS-101: Intercellular Communication, part of the CIBER on Aging and Frailty of ISCIII, and Ibs.Granada. She is also co-director of the International Institute of Melatonin (IiMEL) and co-founder of the company Pharmamel. Over the past 30 years, she has conducted research studying the properties and mechanisms of action of melatonin and its role in mitochondria. Together with Professor Acuña, she is a world leader in the field of melatonin.
Ramón García
Ramón García CEO and Co-Founder
Ramón García is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in creating and leading startup companies, as well as in technology transfer and business innovation. Before joining Pharmamel, he played a key role in the success of several startups, holding executive roles and contributing his expertise and knowledge in technology transfer and business strategy.
Juan Miguel Piernas
Juan Miguel Piernas COO and Co-Founder
Juan Miguel Piernas is an economist with extensive experience in finance and business leadership. Before joining Pharmamel, Juan Miguel Piernas held executive positions in several companies across various sectors, including consulting and the financial sector. He is an expert in data analysis and decision-making.
Jordi Roma
Jordi Roma Director of Operations and Clinical Management
Dr. Jordi Roma, specialist in Internal Medicine, graduated from UAB in 1979 and also obtained a degree in Health Sciences Statistics from the same university. In 1992, he joined the pharmaceutical industry in the medical department of Prodesfarma S.A., where he served as Medical Director until 1998. During this time, he faced the challenge of developing Aceclofenac, achieving its approval by the Spanish Ministry of Health, the medicine agencies in the United Kingdom, and becoming the first Spanish active ingredient to obtain approval from the European Medicines Agency. Furthermore, he was responsible for creating the first Pharmacovigilance department and actively participated in the early stages of ICH E3 (Single case report). Until late 2003, he led a pharmaceutical research unit at the Centre Hospitalari de Manresa, participating in over 100 clinical trials from phase I to phase III, including bioequivalence studies of various products. He maintained a preferential agreement with Simbec International from the United Kingdom and was an active member of the Clinical Trials Ethics Committee during those years. In recent years, he has focused his professional activity on the production and research of pharmaceutical products, primarily in the development of new generics and second opportunities for known drugs.
Antonio Bayo
Antonio Bayo Chief Financial Officer and Administration
Antonio Bayo, a chartered economist and experienced bankruptcy administrator, has a distinguished career of over 30 years in the financial and business sectors. With exceptional skills in leading financial restructuring processes, he has played key roles in the management of various companies, contributing to the success and stability of organizations both nationally and internationally. His achievements in improving the financial health of numerous companies have resulted in a significant increase in investor confidence. Antonio Bayo's extensive experience, backed by his notable accomplishments and skills in financial management and bankruptcy administration, positions him as a highly qualified professional committed to the business success of Pharmamel.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors assumes, with a non-delegable nature, those powers legally reserved for its direct knowledge, as well as those necessary for a responsible exercise of the general function of supervision. Its members approve the strategic and business plan, as well as the management objectives and annual budgets. The Board determines the general policies and strategies of the Company, such as the establishment of the corporate governance policy of Pharmamel Drug Discovery or its responsible management policy. It also oversees the functioning of any committees that have been established and the actions of the delegated bodies. In their decision-making, the directors aim solely at the social interest of the company. The Board of Directors will also ensure that the Company faithfully complies with the current legality, respects the customs and good practices of the sectors or countries where it operates, and observes the principles of social responsibility it has voluntarily accepted.

Chairman of the Board

Ramón María García Vizcaíno

Secretario

Juan Miguel Piernas Sánchez

Board member

Michel Peter Cornelis Beurskens

Board member

Antonio Manuel Arco Torres

Board member

Gotarda Investments Co., represented by Xavier Castells Boliart

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