A purpose rooted in unmet medical needs
Our work is grounded in four core values
We believe in the potential of cell therapies to transform cancer care, and we’re dedicated to making them safer, broader in scope, and clinically meaningful, especially for those who still lack effective treatment options.
Integrity
Doing what’s right
Teamwork
Working together
Accountability
Taking personal responsability
Excellence
Striving to be our best, always
Academic science, translated into real impact
We’re a spin-off company from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute
Our company was founded in 2020 by ICREA Professor Pablo Menéndez to bring his research in cancer immunotherapy closer to patients and turn scientific discoveries into therapeutic solutions. Based in Barcelona, at the Parc Científic, we are part of a vibrant biomedical hub that connects research, clinical expertise and innovation to accelerate impact.
The people driving our mission
Experts in oncology, cell engineering and clinical development
Team
Pablo Menéndez
Founder and CSO
Pablo Menéndez
Pablo Menéndez was awarded a PhD by the University of Salamanca in 2002. He then conducted postdoctoral training (2002-2006) in stem cell biology and childhood leukemia. He returned to Granada as Director of The Andalusian Stem Cell Bank and Principal Investigator at GENyO, a Pfizer-Andalusian Health Department centre for Genomics and Oncology (2007-2013). Since July 2013 he is an ICREA Research Professor and he heads the “Stem cell biology, developmental leukemia and Immunotherapy” group at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Institute-Campus Clinic Hospital-School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona. Pablo Menendez has published 190 peer-review publications with an accumulated impact factor of 2100 (H and i10 factors are 61 and 160, respectively). His work has been cited 13000 times. He has obtained solid competitive national and international research funding, has filed 10 patents in stem cell biology and immunotherapy, and has supervised >30 scientific staff including master, PhD students, postdoctoral scientists and technicians.
Stefanos Theoharis
CEO
Stefanos Theoharis
Stefanos, PhD, with more than 20 years of broad experience in the cell and gene therapy space, business development, program management, manufacturing and basic research brings a deep knowledge C> sector. Former CBO of Bone Therapeutics, Belgium-based company, developing specialized cell therapies for orthopaedic disorders. Pior to that he was Senior Vice-President at Cell Medica, and CBO at apceth GmbH. He also held positions as Head of Business Development at the antisense RNA drug specialist Antisense Pharma (now Isarna), and Director Business Development at Roche, focused on partnering activities in emerging science and technologies. Stefanos also worked at Lazard, the global investment bank, advising to a variety of life sciences firms on M&As and financing transactions.
Víctor M. Díaz Cortés
Research Director
Víctor M. Díaz Cortés
With more than 15 years in biomedical and oncological research at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Hospital de la Vall d’Hebron, the New York University School of Medicine and the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Milan, and the IMIM-Hospital del Mar. After completing his postdoctoral training, he joined the Universitat Pompeu Fabra as a full professor and later as an assistant, and has recently joined the International University of Catalonia.
Wilmar Castillo Ávila
Clinical Operations Director
Wilmar Castillo Ávila
Wilmar has more than 15 years of biomedical research experience at the University of Barcelona, the pharmaceutical company Ferrer and the Catalan Institute of Oncology. During the last 6 years, she has focused her work on managing pharmaceutical development projects in different therapeutic areas in companies such as AlbaJuna Therapeutics SL and Spherium Biomed SL. As a project manager, she has led and coordinated multifunctional teams to ensure preclinical and clinical project’s progress.
Tere Acón
Head of Administration
Tere Acón
With over 20 years of experience in administrative and financial management, Tere Acón Júdez joins OneChain Immunotherapeutics to lead and strengthen the company's administrative operations. She has built her career in the chemical and industrial recycling sectors, where she held key roles optimizing internal processes, implementing financial controls and supporting organizational growth in highly regulated enviroments. Her strategic mindset, deep operational knowledge and commitment to efficiency contribute to the solid foundation driving OneChain's mission to deliver cutting-edge cancer therapies.
Laura García Pérez
Senior Research Scientist
Laura García Pérez
Erica Lafoz Garrido
Senior Laboratory Manager
Erica Lafoz Garrido
Erica graduated in Biomedical Sciences and obtained her master’s degree in Translational Medicine at the University of Barcelona. Afterwards, she performed her Ph.D. exploring advanced chronic liver disease pathophysiology and new therapies at IDIBAPS and did a one-year postdoc performing precision medicine in the rare anaemias field in the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute. Erica joined OneChain Immunotherapeutics as a Laboratory Manager to deal with lab safety, provide technical support participating and carrying out experiments related to all the company's projects and maintain and organize lab resources.
Sergi Casadó
Research Scientist
Sergi Casadó
Julia Cyran
Industrial PhD candidate
Julia Cyran
Julia graduated with honors in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Warsaw. During her studies she did one-year internship at the University of Chicago where she was searching for novel immunotherapeutic targets and testing innovatory BiTEs (Bispecific T cell engagers) and CAR T cell approaches against them. Post-graduation, she gained experience in industry working as a Quality Control Specialist at the Polish Stem Cells Bank where she was responsible for quality and safety of manufacturing CAR T cell therapy products for leukemic patients qualified for Hospital Exemption use. Currently she joined OneChain to perform research for her industrial doctorate studies.
Alba García Pérez
Industrial PhD candidate
Alba García Pérez
Alba graduated in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Barcelona. During her bachelor's degree, she did an internship in the Tumour Immunology department of the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (Netherlands), where she studied the role of PGE2-EP receptor signalling in myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Alba holds a master's degree in Advanced Immunology from the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona and performed her master's thesis research at IDIBAPS developing patient-derived tumouroids as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and follicular lymphoma models. She also gained experience in Global Market Access for Vaccines at Alira Health. Currently, she joined One Chain to conduct her industrial PhD working on the preclinical development of a dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy for T-ALL.
Irene Olivera
Junior Scientist
Irene Olivera
Irene pursued her PhD in Cancer Immunotherapy at Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA, Universidad de Navarra), specializing in modifying the tumor microenvironment by overexpressing or blocking different cytokines to enhance immunotherapy strategies. These strategies include adoptive cell therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors targeting a wide variety of cancers. To support her research, she was awarded the competitive National Predoctoral Scholarship (2019-2023). Her dedication to patient benefits led her to join OneChain Immunotherapeutic as a Research Scientist, driven by her commitment to advancing cancer immunotherapy.
Adrián González
Lab Technician
Adrián González
Almudena Santos
Research Assistant
Almudena Santos
Almudena graduated in Biology at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. Since 2010 she has been working as a Research technician both in Spain and the UK. Assisting in the study of GRK2 at CBMSO (Madrid), focusing on PDAC and breast cancer at the UoL (Liverpool), in 2019 joined UCL (London) developing iPSC cell work to gain a better understanding of the C9orf72 mutation in FTD/ALS. Lastly at CRG (Barcelona) as specialized technician working on patient derived organoids, iPSC, CRISPR and various differentiation protocols. Almudena joined OneChain Immunotherapeutics as a Research Assistant to help with the new iPSC developments.
Irene Espelta
Senior Grants and Project Manager
Irene Espelta
Irene joined Onechain Immunotherapeutics as Senior Grants & Project Manager, where she is responsible for managing grant acquisition and overseeing key strategic projects. With over eight years of experience as an Innovation and Project Manager at organizations such as Mind the Byte, CIMTI, and ITEMAS, Irene has successfully led grant-funded projects, built strategic partnerships, and managed complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept to delivery. Her expertise lies in aligning teams, goals, and resources to drive impactful health innovation. Irene holds a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a master’s in Metabolism and Nutrition from the University of Barcelona and Rovira i Virgili University.
Anna Fustero
MSc Student
Anna Fustero
Anna is pursuing a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. She joined OneChain to conduct her master’s thesis research, focusing on the preclinical development of in vivo CAR T-cell therapy. She graduated in Human Biology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona. During her bachelor's degree, she participated in a six-month Erasmus exchange program at the University of Surrey in England. She also received the A Future in Biomedicine program scholarship, which allowed her to complete a one-year internship at the Complex Metabolic Disease and Mitochondria Research Group at IRB Barcelona, studying a novel biological entity as a potential treatment for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Anna also gained industry experience working in Quality Control at Proquimia, where she was responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of both human and industrial chemical products.
Board of directors
Barbara Krebs-Pohl
Chair
Barbara Krebs-Pohl
Barbara is a highly respected leader in the biotechnology sector with over 27 years of experience, particularly in business strategy and alliance development. She has held key positions at renowned companies, including MorphoSys, where she served as Chief Business Officer, leading strategies that generated $2.9 billion in revenue. Her expertise in strategic partnerships and acquisition integration, notably with Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., played a pivotal role in strengthening MorphoSys’s oncology leadership, contributing to its recent acquisition by Novartis. Barbara has also served on the board of HI-Bio, which was acquired by Biogen in 2024, and is currently the Managing Director of the Foundation for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine. Additionally, she is a Partner and Managing Director at Viopas Venture Consulting, where she advises emerging biotechnology companies on growth and strategic partnerships.
Pablo Menéndez
Founder and CSO
Pablo Menéndez
Pablo Menéndez was awarded a PhD by the University of Salamanca in 2002. He then conducted postdoctoral training (2002-2006) in stem cell biology and childhood leukemia. He returned to Granada as Director of The Andalusian Stem Cell Bank and Principal Investigator at GENyO, a Pfizer-Andalusian Health Department centre for Genomics and Oncology (2007-2013). Since July 2013 he is an ICREA Research Professor and he heads the "Stem cell biology, developmental leukemia and Immunotherapy" group at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Institute-Campus Clinic Hospital-School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona. Pablo Menendez has published 190 peer-review publications with an accumulated impact factor of 2100 (H and i10 factors are 61 and 160, respectively). His work has been cited 13000 times. He has obtained solid competitive national and international research funding, has filed 10 patents in stem cell biology and immunotherapy, and has supervised >30 scientific staff including master, PhD students, postdoctoral scientists and technicians.
Stefanos Theoharis
CEO
Stefanos Theoharis
Stefanos, PhD, with more than 20 years of broad experience in the cell and gene therapy space, business development, program management, manufacturing and basic research brings a deep knowledge C> sector. Former CBO of Bone Therapeutics, Belgium-based company, developing specialized cell therapies for orthopaedic disorders. Pior to that he was Senior Vice-President at Cell Medica, and CBO at apceth GmbH. He also held positions as Head of Business Development at the antisense RNA drug specialist Antisense Pharma (now Isarna), and Director Business Development at Roche, focused on partnering activities in emerging science and technologies. Stefanos also worked at Lazard, the global investment bank, advising to a variety of life sciences firms on M&As and financing transactions.
Laura Rodríguez
Principal Invivo Capital
Laura Rodríguez
Principal of Invivo Capital Partners. Background in Biotechnology with a PhD in Oncology field. Experience in Technology transfer at Vall d'Hebron (VHIR). Since 2018 she's been working in VC, in Healthequity and Invivo.
Antoni Garcia Prat
Manager of the Josep Carreras International Foundation against Leukemia
Antoni Garcia Prat
Graduate in Economic Sciences from the University of Barcelona. Master of Science Harvard University.
Ignacio Prieto
Tech Transfer Funds Analyst in Clave Capital
Ignacio Prieto
Biomedical engineer, Universidad de Navarra and MBA applied to life sciences, Universidad de Barcelona. He began his professional career as a researcher in areas such as tissue engineering and cell aging. He has more than five years of experience in Venture Capital and Technology Transfer and currently, he is part of the board of directors of several biotech and healthtech companies.
Joan Mercadal
Founder and Partner in Nara Health Capital
Joan Mercadal
With a background in Biology, an MSc in Pharmacoepidemiology, and an MB. Started career in the Pharmaceutical Industry and later moved into entrepreneurship, founding and managing several research and clinical research ventures. Over time, experienced investor with track record of success in the healthcare industry. Since 2021 Founder & partner in Nara Health Capital.
Our stakeholders
We count on the support of cutting-edge organizations from both the private and public sectors.
Founder
Pablo Menéndez
Founder and CSO
Pablo Menéndez
Dr. Menéndez, is world renowned for his work in the field of childhood leukaemia. Directs the Josep Carreras Institute's stem cell biology, leukaemia development and immunotherapy group. More than 180 of his studies have been published by the world's most prestigious scientific journals. Awarded by the triennial ED Thomas Postdoctoral Fellowship, by the Josep Carreras Foundation, and three times by the European Research Council (ERC), the most important scientific funding organisation in Europe.
Investors
Institutions
Proyectos CPP2021-008508 y CPP2022-009759 -financiados por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y por la Unión Europea NextGenerationEU / PRTR
Proyecto CPP2024-011314 financiado por MICIU/AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 y por FEDER, UE.
Ayudas PTQ2022-012322, DIN2022- 012556 y DIN2024-014063-2 financiadas por:
OneChain Immunotherapeutics ha sido beneficiaria de la ayuda Iniciativa Transmisiones subvencionado por el CDTI con la colaboración del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Número de expediente MIG-20232031
Project funded by the European Union’s EIC Transition programme under Grant Agreement nº 101113067.
OneChain Immunotherapeutics S.L. ha sido beneficiaria de un proyecto subvencionado por el CDTI con la colaboración del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Cofinanciado por la Unión Europea- Next Generation EU
Número de expediente SNEO-20211018 - PLAN DE EMPRESA ONECHAIN IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS S.L. (01/01/2022-31/12/2022 - 325.000€)
El objetivo general del plan es desarrolar un nuevo método eficaz para la generación selectiva a gran escala de células T citotóxicas (células T Vd1+, también conocidas como DOTs) a partir de sangre de cordón umbilical humano, óptimo para la aplicación clínica en la inmunoterapia adoptiva del cáncer: es decir, el desarrollo de una nueva plataforma de terapia CAR-T de origen alogénico.
