About us
Dermaliq Therapeutics, Inc., is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a therapeutic focus on dermatology, founded in 2021 through a spin-off from Novaliq GmbH.
Our mission is to develop a new generation of superior topical therapies and medical skin care products with greater efficacy and fewer unwanted side effects for millions of patients. Our unique “hyliQTM” technology is driving a growing product pipeline in key dermatological indications. The technology offers superior bioavailability and stability for many active ingredients combined with a cosmetic acceptability that was previously hard to achieve for topically applied drugs.
Dermatology
Skin disorders and diseases are the fourth leading cause of nonfatal disease burden worldwide, underscoring the importance of dermatology in the field of global health. Skin conditions have significant impact on patients’ well-being, mental health, ability to function, and social participation.
Dermatological treatments are largely divided into external application of drugs (topical therapies), systemic therapies (oral administration or injections of drugs or biologics), physical therapies (for example, light and climate therapies), and laser or surgical therapies. Among these treatments, topical and localized delivery of active ingredients to the diseased skin is the preferred route of treatment in a majority of patients, reducing the risk of systemic side effects.
hyliQTM, the unique and proprietary technology owned by Dermaliq, is designed to provide cutaneous drug delivery with unmatched bioavailability for a wide range of pharmaceutical actives.
The technology enables the development of superior liquid therapeutic drugs and medical skin care products which are characterized by exceptional cosmetic properties.
hyliQTM products do not require skin irritating excipients such as preservatives or penetration enhancers.
How it works
Proprietary hyliQTM carrier molecules transport solubilized active ingredients through the stratum corneum, preferably into the epidermis, into glands, or into hair follicles. By selection of specific carrier molecules, we can customize the properties of our drug products, enhancing targeted penetration into the skin tissues, increasing efficacy and reducing unwanted side effects.
Our Pipeline
Our goal is to establish a comprehensive pipeline of next-generation topical drugs and medical skin care products based on our proprietary hyliQTM technology.
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Management and Board of Directors
Frank Löscher, PhD
CEO, President & Co-Founder Dermaliq Therapeutics Inc.
Director
Dr. Löscher is the CEO, President and co-founder of Dermaliq. Prior to joining Dermaliq, he was Chief Technology Officer of Novaliq GmbH, an ophthalmic drug development company. There he was instrumental in the development of several drug candidates and products such as NOV03, CyclASol, EvoTears/NovaTears. He is inventor and co-inventor of numerous drug candidates and developed the pipeline and business case for Dermaliq. Dr. Löscher graduated as a chemist from the University of Heidelberg and received his Dr. rer. nat. degree from the University of Regensburg.
Oliver Schlüter, PhD
CFO & Co-Founder Dermaliq Therapeutics Inc.
Director (Chair)
Dr. Schlüter is the CFO and a co-founder of Dermaliq. He serves as Dermaliq’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. In parallel, Dr. Schlüter continues serving as Novaliq’s CFO, a position he has held since 2015. Prior to this Dr. Schlüter was CFO of CureVac GmbH from 2010 to 2015 where he was instrumental in the transformation of a 70 employee R&D-driven company to a 170-employee customer-centric and value-focused corporation that entered into several strategic partnerships with in-house cGMP-manufacturing. During his time at CureVac the company’s value increased more than tenfold and reached unicorn status with a value of more than $1bn. During the past 15 years in Biotech/Pharma he secured more than $400m cash for the organizations he served. Dr. Schlüter has 25+ years of professional experience within the fields of Finance and Life Sciences. He holds a PhD in computational finance and also studied business. administration.
Betsy Hughes-Formella, PhD
CSO & Co-Founder Dermaliq Therapeutics Inc.
Dr. Hughes-Formella is CSO and co-founder of Dermaliq. She has almost three decades of experience in the development of of topical products and transdermals for a wide range of indications including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, skin infections, pain, wound healing, and aesthetic products. Prior to joining Dermaliq, Dr. Hughes-Formella provided independent consulting services to the global pharmaceutical and CRO industry for 5+ years after holding a management position in a niche CRO specialized in the conduct of dermatological trials for 22+ years. She earned her MS and PhD at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens.
Karen Liu, PhD
Founding partner 3E Bioventures Capital
Director
Dr. Karen Liu has been active in healthcare venture investments since 2005. She is a founding partner of 3E Bioventures Capital, a life science focused VC firm which actively invests in innovative therapeutics as well as cross-disciplinary health tech innovations. 3E has invested in more than 80 companies since its inception in 2015. Prior to a career in investment, Dr. Liu had a successful Internet start-up experience and had also worked as a consultant at Mckinsey & Company.
Dr. Liu received a Ph.D. in Immunology from Harvard University, Master of Medical Sciences degree from Harvard Medical School, and Bachelor of Sciences degree from Cornell University. She also received an EMBA degree from CKGSB – Chungkong Graduate School of Business in China.
Christian Roesky, PhD
CEO Novaliq GmbH
Director
Dr. Roesky is CEO & Managing Director of Novaliq since November 2016. Previously, Dr. Roesky was General Manager for the D-A-CH region of Bausch + Lomb GmbH in Berlin; Commercial Director Central Europe of Abbott’s Diagnostics Division, General Manager and speaker of the German Country Management Board of Abbott GmbH & Co. KG in Wiesbaden from 2013 – 2015; and, General Manager of Alcon Germany & Austria (Novartis) from 2009-2013. He studied chemistry in Bonn and Freiberg, both in Germany, and was awarded his Ph.D. with honors from the Technical University of Freiberg in Germany.
Scientific and Medical Advisory Board
Gordon J. Dow, Pharm.D.
Founder and former CTO/CEO Dow Pharmaceutical Sci. Inc.
Advisory Board
Gordon Dow, PharmD (Chairman of the SAB) is former CEO, Founder & CTO of Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences Inc, a dermatology specialty company which developed topical products on a proprietary basis, as well as for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Dow was acquired by Valeant, now Bausch Health, for US$ 400 million in 2008. Dr. Dow is a recognized expert in topical product formulations and a leading innovator for a number of approved and successful dermatology products.
Xavier Yon
Former CEO Galderma
Advisory Board
Xavier Yon, is former CEO of Galderma and a seasoned healthcare executive with an extensive background in dermatology. Previous roles include executive positions with Pfizer, Solvay, Alcon and most notably as Chief Executive Officer of Galderma for 17 years. During his time at Galderma Mr. Yon built the company from its initial spin out from Alcon to be a world leader in ethical dermatology. Mr. Yon holds a number of active board and advisor roles. He holds a degree in Physics, Chemistry and Biology from Sorbonne University, Paris.
Michal E. Kuligowski, MD, PhD, MBA, iFAAD
VP, Dermatology, Clinical Research Group at Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc.
Advisory Board
Dr. Kuligowski is an experienced pharmaceutical-industry dermatologist with 12 years of clinical practice in dermatology – primarily in an academic setting – a doctoral degree in this specialty, and a business degree to supplement his scientific/ clinical education.
Dr Kuligowski has 25+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical companies (10 years in medical affairs and 16+ in clinical development) including a variety of regional and global roles in larger and smaller companies across Europe, North America, Middle East, and APAC. He has worked across all phases of clinical drug development of small molecules, biologic agents and topical drugs with additional exposure to dermatological aesthetic products.
Dr. Kuligowski earned his doctorate and medical degree from the Medical University of Warsaw in Warsaw, Poland, and a MBA from Webster University in St. Louis, MI.
R. Todd Plott, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer Epiphany Dermatology
Advisory Board
R. Todd Plott, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Chief Medical Officer of Epiphany Dermatology with 30 years of experience in clinical dermatology. Before entering private practice, Dr Plott spent 16 years in the pharmaceutical industry developing several dermatology drugs widely prescribed by dermatologists, his most notable invention is Solodyn™. Dr. Plott obtained his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.