Marianne De backer m.b.a., m.sc. on leadership challenges
From Vir Biotechnology: Marianne De Backer on Immuno-Oncology, Hepatitis Delta, and Biotech Turnarounds · · IDEA Pharma
“So, it's very personal. It's very direct and it impacts you very directly. I also had to make, you know, very difficult choices. I downsized the company with about, you know, onethird. I had to close down some sides. So, again, it hits home very close. it's much more difficult than when you're sort of watching it from a distance. So, that is one. The other one for sure, I mean the impact you can have on patients life, I have always been motivated by that. That is really what brought me to my first role at Jansen. I wanted to make a difference for patients and at a biotech company and especially if you're leading it yourself, you're very close to that. I mean every decision you make can make a difference for you know when is something going to patients how is it going to patients. So that is incredibly fulfilling. Again I have always been incredibly fulfilled in my career at large pharma but doing it in a smaller company where you have that direct impact something very special.”
On , Marianne De backer m.b.a., m.sc., Chief Executive Officer & Director at VIR BIOTECHNOLOGY INC, spoke about leadership challenges during Vir Biotechnology: Marianne De Backer on Immuno-Oncology, Hepatitis Delta, and Biotech Turnarounds on IDEA Pharma.
About Marianne De backer m.b.a., m.sc.
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."