Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR

Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA, serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Vir Biotechnology. Since joining in April 2023, Dr. De Backer has led the company through a critical strategy evolution sharpening its focus in infectious disease and applying its scientific expertise to critical unmet needs in oncology. Under Dr. De Backer’s leadership Vir Biotechnology has a robust pipeline of late-stage assets in hepatitis delta and hepatitis B and three T-cell engagers in earlier development tackling a range of solid tumors. The company also applies its world-class immunology expertise and leading data science capabilities to rapidly advance a research pipeline in service of its mission to power the immune system to transform lives.

Prior to joining Vir Biotechnology, Dr. De Backer has accelerated the growth and impact of large pharmaceutical companies and their portfolios, and helped bring important new therapeutics to patients around the world. Throughout her career, Dr. De Backer has been recognized for her leadership and contributions to the biopharma industry. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

Dr. De Backer previously served as a member of the Executive Committee, and Executive Vice President and Global Head of Strategy, Business Development & Licensing of the Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals division. During her tenure at Bayer, she spearheaded the Company’s external innovation, resulting in more than 50 new alliances and company acquisitions. She also served on the Board of Directors of Bluerock Therapeutics, Asklepios Biopharmaceutical, Vividion Therapeutics, KronosBio and Arrowhead Therapeutics. 

From 1991 through 2019, at Johnson & Johnson, Dr. De Backer held global business and corporate development roles, including the position of Head and Vice President of M&A Operations and Divestitures globally for the Pharmaceuticals Group. Prior to that, she led the launch of two medicines in neuroscience and immunology. Dr. De Backer started her career in drug discovery research and is an inventor on seven patents.

Dr. De Backer received her Master of Business Administration degree from Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She holds a Master of Science in Molecular Biology from Vrije Universiteit, Brussels; and Master of Science in Engineering Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology, from Ghent University, Belgium. She currently serves as a non-executive Director on the Board of the Gladstone Foundation.