Management Team

Avi Barak, Chief Executive Officer
Former President and CEO of Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), Mr. Barak has extensive experience in business and finance. He served as an investment management advisor, including investment in hi-tech, as well as a director of public companies such as Bezeq (Israel’s leading telephone carrier), and Pelephone (a leading Israeli cellular operator). Other positions included business manager, managing director and Chairman of Kardan Investments Ltd.; representative for Teroil Exploration Ltd. (USA); manager of the Mutual Funds Division of Bank Mizrahi (Israel’s 4th largest bank), as well as manager in a number of Bank Mizrahi branches.

Prof. Avraham Hochberg, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
A biochemist and molecular biologist in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Hochberg is recognized as a world-leading expert on the H19 gene, leading the 19-year ground-breaking research. Prof. Hochberg’s list of nearly 140 publications covers seminal contributions in the fields of imprinted genes, H19 gene, IGF2 gene and oncology.

Ira Weinstein, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

As CFO & COO for BioCancell Therapeutics, Mr. Weinstein is responsible for all financial and strategic matters including long-term planning and forecasting, corporate control systems, and investor relations. He was previously Chief Executive Officer of Hapto Biotech (Israel) Ltd. and Incure Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Weinstein served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. He was instrumental in taking the company public (simultaneous listing on NASDAQ:KERX; and AIM:KRX). He has also served as a consultant to the New York State Department of Health and taught business management at Baruch College, Touro College, St. John’s University and Coventry Polytechnic University. He holds an MBA in Management and a BBA (Accountancy) from Baruch College, City University of New York.

Patricia Ohana, PhD, Vice-President, Clinical Development
Dr. Ohana is a Biochemist and Molecular Biologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she holds a position as research scientist in the Department of Biological Chemistry. Dr. Ohana has been involved in many aspects of the ground-breaking research on the H19 gene, lead by Professor Hochberg.

Moshe Landsberg, Vice-President, Technology
Mr. Landsberg oversees manufacture and production for the clinical trials process. He is a former COO at BioPreventative Ltd (later Analyte Works Ltd) and QA and Operations Manager at Common Sense Ltd and Lithotech Medical Ltd. In his 17 years at Biotechnology General (Israel) Ltd, he progressed from Fermentation and Crude Process Department Manager to the senior position of Special Projects Manager. He currently lectures at the Agriculture Faculty of the Hebrew University and has consulted to leading Israeli Pharma and Biopharma companies and Biotech organizations including Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Agis Industries Ltd (later Perrigo Israel), MediWound Ltd, the Israeli Institute for Biological Research and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Mr Landsberg holds an M.Sc. in Applied Science (Applied Microbiology) from the Hebrew University and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences (Biology) from Tel Aviv University.

Back to top