Anaveon Appoints Biotech Leader Thaminda Ramanayake as CEO

Ramanayake brings over 20 years of global biopharmaceutical leadership experience to the late-stage preclinical biotech focused on immune system reprogramming.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 9:48am

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Anaveon, a late-stage preclinical biotech focused on reprogramming the immune system with precision biologics, has announced the appointment of Thaminda Ramanayake as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ramanayake brings over 20 years of global biopharmaceutical leadership experience, with a strong track record in business development, strategic transactions, and advancing innovative therapeutics.

Why it matters

Anaveon is developing new ways to precisely control T cells to address significant unmet needs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company is positioning itself to become a premier immunology company based in Switzerland, and Ramanayake's leadership is expected to accelerate this ambition.

The details

Ramanayake most recently served as Chief Business Officer at CureVac, where he played a key role in the company's transformation and its acquisition by BioNTech in 2025. He has also held senior business development and strategy roles at Sanofi, Affini-T Therapeutics, BioMarin, and Amgen, leading partnerships, licensing, and M&A initiatives.

  • Anaveon announced Ramanayake's appointment on March 23, 2026.

The players

Thaminda Ramanayake

The new Chief Executive Officer of Anaveon, bringing over 20 years of global biopharmaceutical leadership experience.

Dieter Weinand

The Chair of the Anaveon Board of Directors, who stated that Ramanayake's ability to build and position companies for value creation makes him ideally suited to lead Anaveon.

Christoph Huber

The Chief Science Officer of Anaveon, who said the company is well positioned to translate its scientific expertise into differentiated therapies and drive the company's next phase of growth.

Andreas Katopodis

The former leader of Anaveon since its launch, who is proud of the foundation built and confident in Ramanayake's leadership to guide the company through its next stage of growth and development.

Anaveon

A late-stage preclinical biotechnology company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, dedicated to transforming lives by precisely modulating the immune system to address high unmet needs in autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders.

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What they’re saying

“Thaminda is a proven leader with deep strategic and transaction expertise. His ability to build and position companies for value creation makes him ideally suited to lead Anaveon as we advance our immunology pipeline toward the clinic.”

— Dieter Weinand, Chair of the Anaveon Board of Directors

“It is an honor and an exciting challenge to serve as the next Chief Executive Officer of Anaveon. Anaveon is developing new ways to precisely control T cells to address significant unmet needs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.”

— Thaminda Ramanayake, Chief Executive Officer

“Building on our strong scientific expertise, we are well positioned to translate these advances into differentiated therapies and drive the company's next phase of growth. We look forward to working with Thaminda to deliver impactful therapies for patients.”

— Christoph Huber, Chief Science Officer

“I am proud of the foundation we have built and confident that Thaminda's leadership will guide Anaveon through its next stage of growth and development.”

— Andreas Katopodis, Former Leader

The takeaway

Anaveon's appointment of Thaminda Ramanayake as CEO signals the company's commitment to advancing its immunology pipeline and becoming a premier immunology company based in Switzerland. Ramanayake's extensive experience in business development, strategic transactions, and innovative therapeutics is expected to accelerate Anaveon's growth and impact in addressing significant unmet needs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.