About us
We are a Colombian biotechnology company that develops products and services that contributes to Colombia and the region’s health sovereignty, positively impacting people’s health through prevention.
VaxThera S.A.S is our main company located in Medellín, Colombia, and is dedicated to research, develop, and commercialize products and services. To facilitate its business model, it established two subsidiary companies:
- VaxThera Zona Franca: Focused on compounding, finishing, manufacture, and commercialization of products. It is located in Rionegro, Antioquia.
- VaxThera LLC: Located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, it is dedicated to the research and development of biologics.
We are VaxThera: we are a company made of science, joy, and humanity to share with the world.
Our history
In 2021, there was a clear need in Colombia and other countries in the region to produce vaccines and biologics locally, in order to respond to future pandemics and address local needs.
This is why Seguros SURA made the decision to join forces with Jorge Emilio Osorio and Juan Pablo Hernández, both of whom have extensive experience in the scientific field, particularly in vaccine development and a deep understanding of the country’s epidemiology, to create VaxThera and contribute to the health sovereignty of the region.
From the voice of the team, get to know the milestones achieved by the company in its first two years of existence.
January
The team selection process begins.
February
Scientific Training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the Research and Development team.
June
Official launch of the company. Read more here
September
VaxThera Zona Franca creation
November
VaxThera LLC Constitution
February
Start of the construction of the Manufacturing plant. Read more here
April
International Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application and patent application in Argentina to protect UniVax.
August
- Approval of the Free Trade Zone declaration for the Manufacturing plant.
- Winners of the ANDI Innovation Ranking.
- We received a favorable assessment from the FDA regarding the preclinical results of our COVID-19 vaccine.
- Beneficiaries of the call of the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation for the development of vaccines against Zika, Chikungunya, and Yellow Fever.
October
Recognition from Innos, Afidro, and Universidad El Bosque for our contribution to the healthcare innovation system in Colombia.
December
Winners of the ANDI Innovación +País call
April
Beneficiaries of the call launched by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) in collaboration with the University of Madison – Wisconsin for the development of a veterinary vaccine against COVID-19
June
Research Headquarters inauguration
Meet our team of directors
Human talent is and will continue to be our main differentiator to be competitive. We believe the greatest strength is being instead of knowing how. Our idea is to attract top talent, encourage their development and growth, and provide a positive experience so that they wish to continue to grow in our organization.
Jorge Emilio Osorio
CEO
Juan Pablo Hernández
CSO - COO
Madelyn Gutiérrez
Clinical Operation Manager
Daniela Lopera
Legal Affairs Director
Juan Fernando Noreña
Plant Director
Natalia Muñoz
Regulatory Affairs Director
Leonor Hidalgo
Trusted relationships and Sustainability
Our Board of Directors
Fil Randazzo
CEO Leverage Science
Was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University and at the Mt. Sinai Hospital Research Institute in Toronto. He earned a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Indiana University, Bloomington and B.S. in Microbiology and Anthropology from the University of Notre Dame.
Silvia Restrepo
Vice Rector of Research and Creation Universidad de los Andes
Biologist with M.Sc. in cellular and molecular biology and Ph.D. in phytopathology from Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI. Vice-Rector for research and creation of the Universidad de los Andes between 2014 and 2023.
Juana Francisca Llano
President of Suramericana
After completing her studies in Law and Political Science, Juana joined Suramericana 19 years ago. Today she leads Suramericana, the corporate office of Seguros Sura, a role she assumed in the midst of the global pandemic, in April 2020.
Juan David Escobar
President of Seguros SURA Colombia
Since 2016, he has held the position of President of Seguros SURA Colombia. Under his leadership, the company has diversified its portfolio of solutions and transformed its operational model to position itself as a trend and risk manager, developing new markets in the country and maintaining the largest market share in the national insurance industry.
Juan Pablo Hernández
CSO - COO of VaxThera
COO, CSO and co-founder of VaxThera; co-director in Colombia of the One Health Institute – Universidad Nacional – Wisconsin and professor at the Department of Materials and Nanotechnology of the National University of Colombia. He has more than 15 years of experience in molecular engineering.