About ViroMissile
Values
A breakthrough that reaches beyond boundaries
We believe cancer care should be accessible to everyone, and we’ve embedded access, affordability, and geographic reach into discovery, development, and delivery.
We operate with integrity.
We hold ourselves accountable in all that we do by adhering to the highest standards of transparency, honesty, and ethical conduct.
We have grit.
We embrace perseverance, determination, and resilience as we strive to fulfill our purpose. Our team is driven by an unrelenting pursuit of excellence, pushing through obstacles and staying focused fulfilling our purpose.
We are servant-minded.
We believe in putting the needs of others ahead of ourselves, from our employees to those affected by cancer. By serving with empathy and humility, we strive to empower those around us to succeed as we aim to conquer this disease.
Team
Dr. Nanhai George Chen is the President, CEO, and CSO of ViroMissile and serves as the Chairman of the Boad of Directors.
Before founding ViroMissile, George served as Heritage Provider Network Professor of Gene Therapy at City of Hope, where he designed his second generation of viruses based on the chimeric vaccinia virus, now in clinical trials. Previous work includes the design of his first generation of oncolytic vaccinia viruses at Genelux Corporation, where he served as Vice President of Research and Development.
George has won numerous awards, including the first prize in the Science and Technology Progress Award from China’s Ministry of Health in 1995 for his work on sequencing the vaccinia virus genome, the NERD (Novel Experimental Research Developments) Achievement Award in 2009 from the Nation Institute of Health for his work on oncolytic viruses, as well as a host of others.
George is currently Associate Editor of Molecular Therapy Oncology and is an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Human Virology and Retrovirology. He is the author or co-author on over 100 scientific publications, and has been named on over 70 patent and patent applications.
George earned his PhD in Virology from the Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.
Before founding ViroMissile, George served as Heritage Provider Network Professor of Gene Therapy at City of Hope, where he designed his second generation of viruses based on the chimeric vaccinia virus, now in clinical trials. Previous work includes the design of his first generation of oncolytic vaccinia viruses at Genelux Corporation, where he served as Vice President of Research and Development.
George has won numerous awards, including the first prize in the Science and Technology Progress Award from China’s Ministry of Health in 1995 for his work on sequencing the vaccinia virus genome, the NERD (Novel Experimental Research Developments) Achievement Award in 2009 from the Nation Institute of Health for his work on oncolytic viruses, as well as a host of others.
George is currently Associate Editor of Molecular Therapy Oncology and is an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Human Virology and Retrovirology. He is the author or co-author on over 100 scientific publications, and has been named on over 70 patent and patent applications.
George earned his PhD in Virology from the Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.
Mark Bertagnolli is the Chief Operating Officer of ViroMissile and serves on its board of directors, having served previously as the Company’s Chief Business Officer.
Before ViroMissile, Mark was founder of Amitech Therapeutic Solutions, a small molecule biotechnology company, after serving as Genelux Corporation’s Chief Business Officer, where he worked with ViroMissile’s founder, Dr. Nanhai George Chen.
Prior to Genelux, Mark worked on the buy-side of Wall Street, where he founded the global technology hedge fund at FrontPoint Partners, a Morgan Stanley company, and prior to that Mark was a partner at Andor Capital Management, a fund that split from Pequot Capital Management, where Mark joined in 2000 following a year on the sell-side at Salomon Smith Barney.
Prior to his time in the investment community, Mark worked at both Texas Instruments and Philips Semiconductor.
Mark served for 5 years as a nuclear submarine officer in the US Navy, earning the designation Nuclear Engineer by the Naval Reactors division of the DOE.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, cum laude, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is a Certified Director by NACD.
Before ViroMissile, Mark was founder of Amitech Therapeutic Solutions, a small molecule biotechnology company, after serving as Genelux Corporation’s Chief Business Officer, where he worked with ViroMissile’s founder, Dr. Nanhai George Chen.
Prior to Genelux, Mark worked on the buy-side of Wall Street, where he founded the global technology hedge fund at FrontPoint Partners, a Morgan Stanley company, and prior to that Mark was a partner at Andor Capital Management, a fund that split from Pequot Capital Management, where Mark joined in 2000 following a year on the sell-side at Salomon Smith Barney.
Prior to his time in the investment community, Mark worked at both Texas Instruments and Philips Semiconductor.
Mark served for 5 years as a nuclear submarine officer in the US Navy, earning the designation Nuclear Engineer by the Naval Reactors division of the DOE.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, cum laude, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is a Certified Director by NACD.
Dr. Shah Rahimian is the Chief Medical Officer of ViroMissile, bringing over 20 years of experience in patient care and clinical development, with multiple FDA approvals achieved under his leadership.
Before joining ViroMissile, Dr. Rahimian served as the Chief Medical Officer for North America at Virogin, where he led several clinical programs focused on oncolytic viruses. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Coherus Biosciences, overseeing immuno-oncology drug development and strategic collaborations. He also held the role of Vice President of Clinical Development at Idera Pharmaceuticals, spearheading global oncology programs and multiple registration trials.
Dr. Rahimian has held leadership positions at AstraZeneca, MedImmune, Targazyme, Antria, and Illumina. A recognized leader in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, he has successfully led numerous early- and late-stage clinical trials, contributed to multiple BLA and NDA submissions, and played a key role in securing drug approvals in the U.S. His work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals.
He earned his MD from the University of Istanbul, where he also completed his residency in general surgery, internal medicine, and oncology. He further trained in oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and in immunology at Harvard Medical School.
Before joining ViroMissile, Dr. Rahimian served as the Chief Medical Officer for North America at Virogin, where he led several clinical programs focused on oncolytic viruses. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Coherus Biosciences, overseeing immuno-oncology drug development and strategic collaborations. He also held the role of Vice President of Clinical Development at Idera Pharmaceuticals, spearheading global oncology programs and multiple registration trials.
Dr. Rahimian has held leadership positions at AstraZeneca, MedImmune, Targazyme, Antria, and Illumina. A recognized leader in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, he has successfully led numerous early- and late-stage clinical trials, contributed to multiple BLA and NDA submissions, and played a key role in securing drug approvals in the U.S. His work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals.
He earned his MD from the University of Istanbul, where he also completed his residency in general surgery, internal medicine, and oncology. He further trained in oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and in immunology at Harvard Medical School.
Michael Wood is the Chief Business Officer of ViroMissile.
Before ViroMissile, Michael co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of OncoMyx Therapeutics, an oncolytic immunotherapy company where he led the in-licensing of its oncolytic immunotherapy platform, raised $75 million across Series A and B financings, and scaled the company’s operations. Prior to OncoMyx, he served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Operations at Crinetics Pharmaceuticals shortly after its inception, where he led the company’s $40 million Series A financing process and supported crossover financing and IPO preparation.
Earlier in his career, Michael held senior business development roles at Orexigen Therapeutics, where he co-led a $1 billion global co-development and commercialization partnership with Takeda, and at aTyr Pharma, supporting latestage private financings and corporate strategy. He also held sales, marketing, and business development roles at AbbVie where he helped launch multiple blockbuster drugs and worked on a variety of deals.
Michael began his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and management consulting at Tenet Healthcare, and he trained as a scientist at the Salk Institute, the University of California, Berkeley/Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the University of California, San Francisco.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology, summa cum laude and phi beta kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago.
Before ViroMissile, Michael co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of OncoMyx Therapeutics, an oncolytic immunotherapy company where he led the in-licensing of its oncolytic immunotherapy platform, raised $75 million across Series A and B financings, and scaled the company’s operations. Prior to OncoMyx, he served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Operations at Crinetics Pharmaceuticals shortly after its inception, where he led the company’s $40 million Series A financing process and supported crossover financing and IPO preparation.
Earlier in his career, Michael held senior business development roles at Orexigen Therapeutics, where he co-led a $1 billion global co-development and commercialization partnership with Takeda, and at aTyr Pharma, supporting latestage private financings and corporate strategy. He also held sales, marketing, and business development roles at AbbVie where he helped launch multiple blockbuster drugs and worked on a variety of deals.
Michael began his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and management consulting at Tenet Healthcare, and he trained as a scientist at the Salk Institute, the University of California, Berkeley/Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the University of California, San Francisco.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology, summa cum laude and phi beta kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago.
