Dr. Stefan Schmidt
CxO-Executive
Career highlights
- Group Chief Scientific Officer (CxO-Executive), Atlas Antibodies & evitria (2026–present) Leads the unified scientific strategy and technical innovation for the entire Atlas Antibodies group (including evitria and HistoCyte). Focuses on expanding the group’s scientific capabilities, de-risking early-stage antibody discovery, and advancing complex modalities like multi-specific antibodies.
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO), evitria AG (May 2023–2026): Leads company strategy, client relationships, in-house production, and partner management, positioning evitria as a premier transient CHO expression platform for recombinant antibody manufacturing.
- Head of Operations (COO), BioAtrium AG (2018–May 2023): Directed the start-up and full operations of a 20kL large-scale GMP facility (Lonza–Sanofi joint venture, Visp, CH), including manufacturing licence acquisition, tech transfers, and commercial-scale production ramp-up across a ~200 FTE organisation.
- Chief Scientific Officer / Senior Vice President Process Science & Production, Rentschler Biopharma SE (2012–2018): Led bioprocess technology and innovation as CSO and oversaw >250 FTE across 11 bioreactor lines (250L–3,000L) delivering biologics drug substance for toxicology studies, Phase I–III clinical trials, and commercial supply.
- Chief Scientific Officer / VP Technology, ERA Biotech (2009–2011): Managed scientific and commercial strategy for a biotech platform encompassing therapeutic proteins, vaccines, and anti-cancer peptides.
- Associate Director / Team Leader Protein Science, AstraZeneca (2002–2009): Led a protein science section supporting global discovery functions in small molecule lead generation and preclinical biopharma applications.
- Group Leader Protein Biochemistry, GPC Biotech (1998–2002): Profiled kinases for anti-cancer compounds using protein arrays and protein libraries.
- Connex GmbH (1997–1998): Began industrial career developing rapid immunological test systems for infection detection.
Education
- MBA, Business Administration & Economics (specialisation: Mergers & Acquisitions) — Högskolan i Gävle (2006–2009)
- PostDoc, Biochemistry — FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (1997)
- PhD, Biochemistry & Human Genetics — Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (1993–1996)
- MSc, Biology & Biotechnology — Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (1986–1992)
Patents
- High Throughput Analysis of Molecular Interaction Using Surface Plasmon Resonance — EU WO0106236 (granted 15 July 1999)
- Split Inteins and Uses Thereof — EU WO2013045632 (filed 28 September 2011)
Publications
Stefan has published peer-reviewed research and contributed to major reference works in protein biochemistry, fusion protein design and biopharmaceutical development. His writing is grounded in translational relevance and clear interpretation of complex bioprocess data. Selected publications are listed below, with additional references available via ResearchGate.
- Fusion Protein Technologies for Biopharmaceuticals: Applications and Challenges (Apr. 2013) — Wiley: A comprehensive reference work covering receptor-traps, immunotoxins, Fc-fusions, and peptibodies, as well as strategies for half-life extension, targeted toxicity, and novel multifunctional antibody formats… view
- Fusion-proteins as biopharmaceuticals – Applications and challenges (Mar. 2009) — National Center for Biotechnology Information: A review of approved and clinical-stage fusion proteins, categorised by functional design, with discussion of shared challenges including immunogenicity and future directions beyond oncology and inflammation… view
Languages
- German — Native
- English — Full professional proficiency
- Swedish — Full professional proficiency
- French — Good knowledge
- Spanish — Good knowledge
Articles written by Dr. Stefan Schmidt (9)
Dr. Stefan Schmidt writes on the science and strategy behind recombinant antibody manufacturing, bioprocess innovation, and the evolving landscape of bispecific antibody production — including the heavy-light chain pairing challenge in bispecific formats. His content is grounded in decades of hands-on experience across CDMO, pharma, and biotech environments, offering a uniquely informed perspective on production feasibility, platform design, and translational manufacturing decisions.
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Bispecific antibody companies: What companies are developing bispecific drug products?
The bispecific antibody (bsAb) market is shaped by several key players that have been changing the way severe diseases can be treated. We will talk about some of them in this article.
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Bispecific Antibody Formats – exploring the diverse types & formats in therapeutic development
In this article, we’ll explore the different types and formats of bsAbs, their unique features, and therapeutic applications. Additionally, we’ll highlight evitria’s role in advancing bsAb development.
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Bispecific Antibodies: A Comprehensive Overview
BsAbs are a comparatively new and extremely promising class of antibodies. In this article, we provide an overview of bispecific antibodies, including their mechanism of action and expressions.
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Understanding the side effects of bispecific antibodies
Despite the enormous progress that has been made in the field of bsAbs, the side effects related to their administration have to be considered as well. In this article, we provide a general overview of possible side effects.
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Speed vs. Quality in Early Drug Development: Striking the Right Balance for Antibody Therapeutics
In drug development, speed without reproducibility risks costly setbacks. This article shows how high-quality antibody materials, early testing, and smart design enable faster, more reliable programs without compromising rigor.
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Why Promising Antibody Candidates Fail Before Clinical Trials – and How to Avoid It
Despite strong market growth, most antibody candidates fail early due to developability, pharmacokinetics, or immunogenicity issues. This article outlines key risks and strategies to de-risk development and speed the path from discovery to IND.
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Fast-Tracking Bispecific Antibody Development: What Can Go Wrong?
Bispecific antibodies hold great promise, but rushing development can trigger design and manufacturing risks. This article explores how smart strategies and expert partnerships accelerate bsAb programs without compromising quality.
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The Risks of Over-Promising in Early-Stage Biologics Development
In early biologics development, over-promising can derail programs and erode trust. This article explores the causes, consequences, and how data-driven planning safeguards progress and credibility.
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The Stability Problem: Why Some Recombinant Antibodies Don’t Make It to Market
Stability is key to antibody success, but physical, chemical, and biological issues often derail candidates. This article covers causes, consequences, and strategies to improve stability, manufacturability, and speed development to market.