Nijmegen, Netherlands – 1 July 2026 – Symeres, a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO), and Axxam, a leading provider of biology-driven discovery services, today announced the appointment of Russell Thomas, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer to drive a joint collaboration between Symeres and Axxam that combines the unique R&D services offering of both organizations.
The appointment strengthens the scientific leadership of both Symeres and Axxam as they continue to build a closely connected, science-led offering for pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. By bringing together the complementary capabilities of both organizations, customers can receive support across integrated discovery and development programs. The integrated solutions offered span all the way from target assessment, screening and testing, lead identification and optimization all the way to development candidate nomination and IND ready packages.
As CSO, Thomas will help shape and execute the scientific strategy of Symeres and Axxam, as well as working closely with scientific and commercial teams across both companies. His role will include supporting the development of integrated client solutions, connecting scientific capabilities, and identifying opportunities to further strengthen the combined discovery and development capabilities.
Commenting on his appointment, Russell said “Returning as Chief Scientific Officer feels very exciting as it connects two parts of a story. Having spent important parts of my career at both Symeres and Axxam, I’m excited to help bring together expert led complementary science, strong transatlantic teams and a shared mindset to support partners and projects in a truly integrated way.”
Henning Steinhagen, CEO of Symeres, added: “As customer programs become more complex, scientific leadership that can connect capabilities, people and platforms across organizations becomes increasingly important. Russell brings a rare combination of scientific expertise, industry experience and first-hand knowledge of both Symeres and Axxam, together with a strong understanding of how to translate early discovery projects into preclinical development and beyond.”
The common objective is to develop faster and better drugs for the pharmaceutical industry and ultimately improve patient’s lives” said Ciriaco Maraschiello, CEO of Axxam. “Russell’s appointment is an important step in strengthening the connection between both companies, with his experience providing a valuable perspective on how to connect scientific capabilities to customer needs
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