Startups
Noema Pharma
Basel, Switzerland
Noema Pharma AG is a Basel clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral small-molecule therapeutics for neurological and related disorders. Sofinnova Partners seed-financed its formation in 2019, and the company licensed four clinical-stage assets from Roche. Its current pipeline focuses on two programs: basimglurant (NOE-101), an mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator for trigeminal neuralgia, and cendifensine (NOE-115), a broad-spectrum monoamine modulator for menopause-related vasomotor and other symptoms. The website labels basimglurant Phase 2/3 and reports an FDA Fast Track designation; the candidates remain investigational. Earlier announcements described additional studies in tuberous sclerosis complex, Tourette syndrome and childhood-onset fluency disorder, which are retained as historical development context rather than assumed to remain the current pipeline. Noema’s public directory contains six executives, nine board seats and five scientific advisors, representing19 distinct people. Ilise Lombardo leads the company as CEO and director. Noema closed a CHF54M Series A in December2020 and a CHF103M Series B in March2023. Its December2024 extension brought the total Series B round to CHF130M; this is not a separate CHF130M cash raise. The independent Swiss Venture Capital Report2025 directly reports CHF27M for the2024 extension; the issuer itself published the CHF130M aggregate rather than a separate incremental amount. The2019 seed amount remains undisclosed. Roche’s original shareholding was consideration for licensed assets, distinct from a proved cash investment.
Founded 2019
Team
 Ali MostajeleanScientific Advisor |
Andreas HartmannScientific Advisor |
 Antoine PapiernikBoard Member |
 Arthur FrankenBoard Member |
 Catherine MoukheibirBoard Member |
 Darren CarrollBoard Member |
 Felice Verduyn-van WeegenBoard Member |
 George GaribaldiCo-Founder; Former Chief Medical Officer |
 Gerald MaguireScientific Advisor |
 Ilise LombardoChief Executive Officer · Board Member |
 Jeffrey JonasChairman |
John KempChief Scientific Officer (last confirmed2020) |
 Luigi CostaCo-Founder; Former Chief Executive Officer |
 Mehdi AinoucheBoard Member |
 Michael GutchFormer Chief Financial Officer |
 Michael SamarChief Financial Officer |
 Michel DavidVP CMC & Clinical Supply |
 Nanna LüneborgBoard Member |
 Robert LasserChief Medical Officer |
 Sally NixonHead of Operations |
 Tanjala GipsonScientific Advisor |
 Terence CoderreScientific Advisor |
 Volker KnappertzExecutive Vice President of Research & Development |