Avanzanite Appoints Mark Bechter as SVP, Medical Affairs

Avanzanite Bioscience B.V., a commercial-stage European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, has appointed Dr. Mark Bechter as Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs.

In his role, Bechter will oversee all medical and scientific functions, including medical education, thought leader engagement, scientific communication, investigator-sponsored studies, evidence generation and medical information. Based in the UK, he will provide leadership and strategic direction across Europe, ensuring operational excellence and alignment with regulatory and ethical standards.

“I am thrilled to join the Avanzanite team and contribute to our ethos of uncovering potential and setting new standards to make a lasting difference in the lives of rare disease patients,” said Bechter. “I am particularly excited to be part of a company where my personal values and those of the corporation align so perfectly.”

Experience

Having graduated from the University of Southampton’s Medical School, Bechter’s career began as an anaesthetist and intensive care specialist. He later applied his expertise in the rare disease biotechnology industry across medical affairs, medical operations, clinical development, registry design, safety monitoring, patient advocacy and strategic regulatory affairs in more than 25 countries globally. He has built high-performing teams in both start-ups and multinational corporations such as Kiniksa, Aeglea, Baxter Healthcare, Amicus, Synageva, Chiesi and Novartis, supporting the launch of more than 10 rare disease medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including rare haematology, autoimmune, and genetic and metabolic diseases.

“We are delighted to welcome Mark to our leadership team,” said Adam Plich, Founder and CEO of Avanzanite. “His experience in building and guiding medical teams across countries, regions, and globally, will be instrumental in achieving our 2032 vision of delivering life-changing rare disease medicines to patients across Europe with a catalogue of at least 10 transformative therapies.”