All In on Rare Disease Day 2025
Jimmy Vanhove
CEO, Viralgen and TAAV
“Speed” and "Resilience" were the watchwords that Viralgen and TAAV CEO Jimmy Vanhove took away from Rare Disease Day 2025. Hear Jimmy explain why those concepts are so important in today’s gene therapy manufacturing, and preview what’s ahead for the company in 2025.
Sonia Vallabh
Director of Prion Therapeutic Science
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Through predictive genetic testing, Sonia Vallabh, PhD, discovered she’s at high risk of developing genetic prion disease, a condition that took her mother’s life at age 52. So Sonia changed careers and is devoting her life to finding a way to stop the disease before it starts. Hear why she values every opportunity to view rare disease treatment and prevention from multiple vantage points.
As Viralgen’s Chief Commercial Officer Andy Holt sees it, providing a forum for sharing frontline stories in the fight against rare disease is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. Hear Andy set the scene for Rare Disease Day 2025, including what he hopes attendees will take away from the day’s events.
Špela Miroševič, PhD
President & Founder, CTNNB1 Foundation
Špela Miroševič, PhD, founded the CTNNB1 Foundation to help advance treatments for CTNNB1 Syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopment disorder that affects 1 out of every 50,000 children worldwide – including Špela’s son, Urban. Hear why she felt it was important to be part of Rare Disease Day at Viralgen.
Javier García
Founder and Trustee, Fundación Columbus
Founder and Board Chair, Viralgen
As the founder of both Viralgen and The Columbus Foundation, Javier García has a unique firsthand perspective on the challenges facing all stakeholders pursuing treatments for rare diseases. Hear how he describes the current climate surrounding gene therapy innovation today and why everyone involved should have hope for its future.
Jordi Sanchez
CEO, Bayer Iberia
Country Division Head of Pharmaceuticals, Spain and Portugal, Bayer
Jordi Sanchez, CEO of Bayer Iberia, recognizes the considerable impact that can be made through closer collaboration in the rare disease community. Hear why Jordi’s proud to be part of today’s efforts to change tomorrow’s treatments.
Claudia Gagliardini
Commercial Head of Gene Therapy, EMEA, Cytiva
Claudia Gagliardini, Commercial Head of Gene Therapy in EMEA for Cytiva, was impressed with the diversity of perspectives found at Rare Disease Day 2025. But she also recognizes the challenges ahead in helping gene therapies reach their full potential. Hear which hurdles Claudia thinks the industry should look to clear next.
Tracy Dowling
Chief Business Officer and General Counsel, AskBio
For Tracy Dowling, Chief Business Officer and General Counsel at AskBio, successfully tackling rare disease requires participation from everyone – including pharma and biotech companies, foundations, investors, and patient communities. Hear Tracy explain what those collaborations could bring to the future of rare disease treatments.
César Trigueros, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer, Viralgen
As Chief Scientific Officer at Viralgen, César Trigueros, PhD, saw “responsibility” as the key takeaway for Rare Disease Day 2025. Hear why he’s proud to take on that responsibility and why collaboration is part of the corporate DNA of Viralgen.
