About Ovoca Bio
Ovoca Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on women’s health. In 2018 the Company acquired control of IVIX, a biotechnology company developing Orenetide (BP-101), a novel medicinal treatment for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Since the initial acquisition, Ovoca Bio has supported the continued clinical development and commercial planning of Orenetide, which has been submitted for marketing authorisation in Russia and has commenced a Phase II study in a western population with HSDD. In March 2020, Orenetide became a fully owned program of Ovoca Bio.
Founded and incorporated in Ireland, the business currently operates in Ireland, the UK and Russia.
Our Vision & Approach
Ovoca Bio’s vision is to become a leader in the research and development of, and commercial partner of choice for, novel medicines in areas of high unmet need that affect women.
The Company has filed for approval for the marketing of Orenetide in Russia and has commenced development of the drug for major global markets, with special focus on the US and Europe.
Ovoca Bio will consider opportunities to license commercialisation rights and/or collaborate with global pharmaceutical companies, regional partners or other qualified potential partners where they would accelerate the availability of current plus future product candidates to patients in need.
Ovoca Bio owns a patent portfolio that provides broad effective protection of its technology and lead product candidate. The Company intends to continue to leverage this patent portfolio and selectively add to it, to develop and commercialise its initial product candidate and potentially future ones.
European-based biopharmaceutical company with a focus on women’s health
Currently developing a novel synthetic peptide (Orenetide) for treatment of women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)
€13.6 million in cash and liquid assets to support drug development activities company with a focus on women’s health
Experienced team and top advisors to deliver on corporate goals
Board of Directors
Kirill Golovanov
Chief Executive & Interim Chairman
Mr. Golovanov joined Ovoca as a corporate advisor in 2007 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ovoca in May 2012. He has extensive experience in the development of venture businesses. Mr. Golovanov holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Moscow State Law Academy, Moscow, Russia and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, NC, USA.
Timothy McCutcheon
Non-Executive Director
Mr. McCutcheon joined Ovoca as a Non-Executive Director in January 2009 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in December 2009 before stepping down in April 2012 and becoming a Non-Executive Director. Prior to Ovoca, Mr. McCutcheon was a partner at DBM Capital Partners and he also worked at several investment banks such as Bear Stearns, Aton Capital and Pioneer Investments as an award-winning equity analyst and as an investment banker Mr. McCutcheon holds a BA, Cum Laude, from Columbia College, New York and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School.
Anastasia Levashova
Non-Executive Director
Anastasia has 20+ years of experience of long-term investing in Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America and has served on a number of company boards of directors across the UK and Russia. Currently at Blackfriars Asset Management in London, Anastasia oversees several portfolios investing in global equities and high yield securities. Prior roles include leading BNP Paribas EMEA equity sales business, managing research sales and capital transactions at Citibank, and establishing Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s equity sales/trading and research teams in Russia. Anastasia holds a PhD from Moscow Lomonosov State University and a Masters from Columbia University, NYC. She does regular interviews on investments for Bloomberg and is a member of EM Power – global charity supporting disadvantaged youth in emerging countries.
Kristina Zakurdaeva
Non-Executive Director
Kristina has 10+ years of experience in the international pharma industry and biotech projects development in the US, Russia, and globally. Kristina served as CEO of Incuron, a New York-based drug development company in the oncology sector, for more than three years. Before Incuron, she served as Chief Medical Officer at Gero (Singapore/Russia), a drug discovery company focused on aging and aging-related diseases, where she developed clinical strategy for the company’s pipeline. Prior to that Kristina worked as a Scientific Advisor at Bristol-Myers Squibb and later headed oncology and immunology R&D projects in the Skolkovo Foundation (Moscow) where she successfully launched the Cancer Center of Excellence.
Kristina is a Founder and Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Cancer Research Support (RakFond, Russia) and has authored numerous, recent, peer-reviewed publications and co-authored a scientific discovery in genetics. Kristina holds a MD degree in internal medicine and hematology, as well as a PhD in genetics of acute leukemia.