Dr. Dirk Beher Appointed CEO of FundaMental Pharma, Leading Neurodegenerative Disease Research

HEIDELBERG, Germany — FundaMental Pharma GmbH, a pioneering neuroscience company, is excited to announce Dr. Dirk Beher as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Beher succeeds Dr. Thomas Schulze, co-founder of FundaMental, who will transition to the company’s Board of Directors. This leadership change coincides with the company’s recent successful seed funding round, which raised €12.7 million, partly contributed by the Novartis Venture Fund.

Dr. Beher, a veteran in the biotechnology industry with over 25 years of experience in CNS drug discovery, previously led Asceneuron as CEO, where he significantly advanced the development of therapeutic programs into clinical trials. Before Asceneuron, he held prominent roles at Merck Sharp & Dohme, Amgen, and Merck Serono, overseeing R&D teams and pushing forward innovations in pharmaceutical drug discovery.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Thomas over the last few years and I look forward to his continued participation at Board meetings. He leaves a strong foundation and legacy, in particular, setting up the business, establishing biological and chemical resources for the company and bringing the first molecules into lead optimization. I also look forward to working with Dirk as we prepare for the next stage of FundaMental’s growth,” said Dr. Keno Gutierrez, Chairman of FundaMental’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Beher expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, “FundaMental is working on a novel mechanism of action that blocks glutamate neurotoxicity without the undesired effects on the function of synaptic glutamate receptors which positions the company as a distinct player in the field of neurodegeneration. I am excited to join FundaMental to build on the excellent foundations Thomas and his team have laid while further scaling the Company into a fully-fledged biotech to bring much-needed medicines to patients.”

Dr. Thomas Schulze, reflecting on his tenure, added, “Leading FundaMental Pharma since its inception has been a highlight of my professional career. On the basis of world-class research and backed by seasoned investors who joined at an early stage, we have built a company and laid the foundation for the development of new medicines based on a completely new pharmacological principle with ground-breaking potential for the treatment of neurodegeneration. I look forward to working closely with Dirk, Keno, the Board of Directors, and the Management team as we continue to realize FundaMental’s success story.”

About FundaMental Pharma GmbH:

FundaMental Pharma, based out of Heidelberg University, is at the forefront of developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors targeted at treating a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. The company’s innovative approach focuses on counteracting glutamate neurotoxicity, a prevalent factor in neurodegeneration. FundaMental’s research holds promise for major advances in treating diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, and other memory-related disorders.

You may like to read : University of Maryland Launches New Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute