The Team - ViruCure

Meet the Team

Management Team

Dr. Shay Tayeb

CEO, CSO and Co-founder

Postdoc graduate researcher and academic lecturer in the fields of molecular biology, microbiology, virology and gene therapy. Over the last decade, his research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has focused on understanding the tropism, host response, and mechanisms of action of Newcastle Disease Virus in several tumor models as well as human tissues. His work has led him to develop novel biological methods.

Yoram Drucker

VP-Buis-dev and Co-founder

Expertise in management, start-ups, operations, business development and product development. Co-founded three stem cell technology companies, Pluristem (NASDAQ: PSTI), Brainstorm (NASDAQ: BCLI) and CellSource (CLCS.OB). He is involved as a consultant and co-founder with other start-ups in different fields

Board Members

Dr. Ron Mayron

Extensive experience in the pharmaceutical sector. Significant senior management positions, both local and global, within Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (incl. CEO Israel & VPIsrael and Africa). Oversaw Teva Medical (medical equipment), SLE (SCM solutions) and Abic Pharma (Marketing & Sales); annual sales turnover > $650 million & responsible for 730 employees. Ron serves as Director & Chairman of a variety of public and private companies.

Dr. Maya Halperin

A medical doctor with nearly 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Until 2010, she was the Medical Director at Teva, in charge of Regulatory affairs, Clinical Trials and Medical Marketing in the Israel and International Group (non U.S. and E.U. countries). She is currently in charge of Medical and Scientific affairs at CH-Health, a private venture capital in Israel. CH has invested in 10 companies in the Biotech field, in different stages of drugs/devices development. Two of the companies made successful NASDAQ IPOs and the others are private. She was active in the NASDAQ IPO and was until recently a member of the board of Galmed.

Dr. Asher Holtzer

Physicist by training. Serial entrepreneur with >30 years of senior leadership experience in the medical device industry, transitioning emerging technologies from research to clinical care, raising venture capital funds, taking companies public. Has served as director with both start-up and publicly traded companies including: InspireMD, TheraCoat, BioSig (USA), Magnetecs (USA), Adar, 2to3D, OSHIL., S.P. Market Windows, BioCube and others.

Yossi Levy

Co-Founder of Flow Jordan Investment firm, CEO of TODOS Technologies and board member and observer in leading start-up companies. Extensive experience in financial risk management and consulting to early-stage companies. Holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology, and academic knowledge and experience in economics, financing, financial risk management, complex crisis management and international negotiations.

Advisory board

Scientific Advisory Board

Prof. Amos Panet

Co-Founder

Professor of Virology, Hebrew University, Co-founder of two biotech companies.

Professor of Virology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 1982, with more than 30 years of biotechnology research experience. Was the chief scientist and director of research at Bio-Technology General Corp, Israel. Cofounded two biotech companies based on his inventions: Medgenix, developing a novel biopump, and Theravir, developing an oncolytic virus. Has 21 registered patents.

Prof. Zichria Zakay-Rones

Co-Founder

Professor of Virology, Hebrew University; Award–winning anti-cancer researcher.

Professor of Virology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 1991, with more than 20 years of research experience in the field. Expertise in Newcastle Disease Virus vaccines and oncolytic activity (Kaye Innovations Award for Anti-Cancer Therapy 2008) and in vaccines and host immune responses, with special reference to influenza. Developed an intranasal flu vaccine that underwent clinical trials (Sarov Prize for Excellency in Human Microbiology, Israel Microbiology Society). Co-founded Theravir. Has 7 registered patents.

Prof. Nir Peled

Prof Nir Peled is the Director of the Cancer Center at the Shaarey – Zedek Medical center, Jerusalem, Israel. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonology and medical oncology. He is one of the key opinion leaders in the field of lung cancer. He is the chair of the thoracic cancer Assembly of the European Thoracic Society and the co-chair of the screening committee of the IASLC (International Association of Lung Cancer).

Prof. Deborah Blumenthal

Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, serves on several neuro-oncology committees. She served as the chairperson for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Brain Committee. For seven years, was director of Neuro-oncology at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, published in dozens of medical journals and books, her research has earned a number of awards. Head of the Neuro-Oncology department of Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv.