Metabolic science, reimagined

Reactivating the body’s natural ability to burn energy

Tanai Therapeutics is pioneering a new approach to obesity therapy by targeting the body’s own energy expenditure pathways.

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Conceptual artwork of a mitochondrion, the organelle that generates cellular energy

Overview

About Tanai Therapeutics

Tanai Therapeutics is a Belgium-based biotech company developing first-in-class oral small molecules designed to activate energy expenditure pathways and support fat loss.

Founded with support from Novo Nordisk A/S, BGV, V-Bio Ventures, VIB, and Qbic, Tanai brings together metabolic scientists, biotech entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors working to advance next-generation therapies for obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases.

Conceptual close view of the folded inner membrane of a mitochondrion

Science

Addressing a persistent metabolic gap

Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease. In 2022, 890 million adults worldwide were living with obesity, which contributes to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other serious comorbidities.

GLP-1 and incretin-based therapies have transformed obesity care, but current approaches mainly focus on appetite suppression. Many people still face challenges with muscle loss, treatment durability and tolerability, rebound weight gain, and reduced energy expenditure after weight loss.

Tanai is focused on this underexplored metabolic gap: helping the body restore energy balance by increasing tissue-selective energy expenditure.

Source: World Health Organization: Obesity and overweight (2022 prevalence data)

Team and governance

Led by experienced biotech and metabolic disease experts

Leadership team

Josua Jordi

CEO & board member

About Josua Jordi

Josua Jordi is an ETHZ-trained biochemist and received a distinguished Ph.D. in human physiology from the University of Zurich.

He co-founded EraCal Therapeutics Ltd based on a platform technology invented during his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. He led the obesity-focused biotech as CEO and board member from inception through financing rounds, multiple research collaborations, and ultimately to a licensing deal with Novo Nordisk.

After heading up the drug discovery efforts in metabolism at pRED-Roche, he led drug discovery and development through inflection points as CSO of Tanai Therapeutics prior to his election as CEO and board member.

Tobias Gabriel

Chief Development Officer

About Tobias Gabriel

Tobias Gabriel received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. Following postdoctoral studies in nanotechnology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem he joined Roche in Palo Alto to lead various drug discovery programs (Cathepsin K, p38, IRAK4, BTK) in osteoporosis and inflammation.

Tobias joined Novartis in Basel as head of oncology chemistry, advancing multiple small molecules from bench to bedside, including Roblitinib, Lapiteronel, Siremadlin and Asciminib (ScemblixTM).

As global head of external drug discovery, Tobias built a partnered-, dedicated- and DMTA-focused integrated drug discovery center in Bengalaru, enabling the Novartis small molecules pipeline across all disease areas, and as VP and Head of Europe for WuXi and as Chief Growth Officer at Proteros, Tobias continued helping and shaping integrated drug discovery organizations to efficiently accelerate drug discovery programs across the value chain.

Board of directors

Sara Vandenwijngaert

Chair

About Sara Vandenwijngaert

Sara Vandenwijngaert, PhD, serves as Chief Scientific Director at Qbic, where she combines a life sciences foundation with a commitment to the valorization of innovative science.

She earned her PhD in cardiovascular research and spent many years conducting and leading biomedical research at both KU Leuven and Harvard Medical School. She then led the clinical science effort at One Brave Idea in Boston, a research initiative backed by Verily, AstraZeneca and the American Heart Association.

After returning to Belgium, she directed a clinical trials group before joining Qbic. Her work is directed at advancing rigorous science toward clinical and commercial application.

Carla Snoeck

Board member

About Carla Snoeck

Carla Snoeck is New Ventures Lead at VIB, Belgium’s leading life sciences research institute, where she drives the creation, launch and early governance of new biotech companies based on breakthrough academic science.

She works closely with scientific founders, entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners to shape investable therapeutic ventures, build strong founding teams and guide companies through formation, financing and board-level decision-making. Carla has played a leading role in the creation of Confo Therapeutics, Dualyx, Animab and Tanai Therapeutics, and has served, or currently serves, on the boards of several VIB spinoffs.

Previously, Carla was IP Manager at Innogenetics (Fujirebio), and later at VIB, where she developed IP strategies to protect and position innovations as strong foundations for new biotech ventures. She holds an MSc in Bioscience Engineering and a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from KU Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Shelley Margetson

Board member

About Shelley Margetson

Shelley Margetson is Managing Partner V-Bio Ventures. Prior to joining V-Bio Ventures, Shelley spent over 20 years in executive roles in both finance and business, across various European biotechnology companies.

As CFO of Merus (MRUS) she managed the Initial Public Offering on the Nasdaq in May 2016 and as CEO of Gadeta she closed a ‘build to buy’ deal with Kite/Gilead. Shelley has managed funding rounds, business exits and negotiated international business transactions, spanning three continents.

Shelley has a finance/business background, holds a BA in business economics and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Rianne Ellenbroek

Board member

About Rianne Ellenbroek

Rianne Ellenbroek is a Principal at BGV, which she joined in 2020 to set up BGV's early-stage fund FIRST, before being promoted to Principal in 2023. Previously an Associate at INKEF Capital, she holds a PhD in regenerative medicine from Leiden University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago's Kovler Diabetes Center.

Rianne currently serves on the boards of TargED Biopharmaceuticals, River BioMedics, Tanai Therapeutics, and Phlox Therapeutics, and as a board observer at VectorY Therapeutics.