Marianne De backer m.b.a., m.sc.

Chief Executive Officer & Director, Vir Biotechnology

Search every verified Marianne De backer m.b.a., m.sc. interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Marianne De Backer, CEO of Vir Biotechnology, discussed the company’s strategic turnaround in an April 2026 podcast interview. She noted that Vir Biotechnology was "incredibly successful during the COVID pandemic" with its drug sotrovimab, but after the virus evolved new variants, the company "went from a billion dollars in revenue one year to almost none the next." De Backer stated that she downsized the company by about one-third and closed some sites, adding that "cash is king" and that "you can have the best science and the best ideas in the world, but you need to fund your operations." De Backer described refocusing Vir Biotechnology on immuno-oncology and infectious disease, highlighting its masked T-cell engager pipeline and PRO-XTEN® masking platform. She said the company secured "more than a half billion in upfront income" through deals with Orion and Astellas, as well as a $173 million financing. De Backer also mentioned meeting with Dr. Mer Machi as part of a group of biotech CEOs, stating that "we are in a competitive global environment" and that she is "hopeful we will see changes to move faster across regulatory processes."