Rainer Wessel

RAINER WESSEL is President and Chief Executive Officer of Axxima
Pharmaceuticals AG. After earning a PhD in Molecular Biology in
Constance, Germany in 1991, he moved to Japan, providing an opportunity
to learn Japanese while being engaged in research at Boehringer
Ingelheim (BI) Nippon KK. Dr. Wessel returned to Germany in 1993 to join
the Patent Department of BI where he received training in patent law,
and was responsible for a worldwide biotech patent portfolio. In 1997 he
moved to Qiagen GmbH to establish and head the Intellectual Property and
Licensing Department. Dr. Wessel joined Axxima in July 1999 as the Vice
President of Business Development. In August 2001 he was appointed Chief
Business Officer by Axxima’s Supervisory Board and led the third
financing round. In March 2002 he was appointed President and Chief
Executive Officer.