Coulter Partners successfully places three senior executives at Augustine Therapeutics
LONDON, UK and BRUSSELS, Belgium - July 1, 2025 – Coulter Partners, the global expert building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, successfully completed search assignments for Augustine Therapeutics NV (“Augustine”) and is pleased to announce the placements of Carl Bjartmar as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Virginie Cartage as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Rie Schultz Hansen as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).
Augustine Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing new therapies for neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and cardio-metabolic diseases through the inhibition of the Histone DeACetylase 6 (HDAC6) enzyme.
With over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Carl Bjartmar has an extensive track record in early and late-stage clinical drug development. He notably led late-stage development for Decuprate, a first-in-class treatment for Wilson's disease at Wilson Therapeutics, playing a role in their IPO and subsequent acquisition by Alexion. He also served as CMO of Ascelia Pharma, contributing to their IPO and leading global Phase 3 development. Dr. Bjartmar, an M.D. with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, has held senior positions at major pharma companies like Sanofi, Genzyme, and Lundbeck.
Virginie Cartage joins Augustine from Novadip, a late-stage clinical biotechnology company specializing in regenerative medicine, where she served as CFO and played a pivotal role in the company’s development during its first decade. Before Novadip, she held a number of senior finance positions in Belgium and Europe with big pharma companies including AbbVie and AstraZeneca after initiating her professional career at Deloitte. She received her Master of Economics from Université Catholique de Louvain and a master’s in accounting and Audit from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, complemented by a management degree for the pharmaceutical sector.
With over two decades in drug discovery and early-stage development, Rie Schultz Hansen brings deep expertise in cardio-metabolic and inflammation-driven diseases, and peptide therapeutics. As CSO at Aelin Therapeutics, she led the development of a novel degrader platform and launched an AI/ML-based initiative. Earlier, at Zealand Pharma, Rie served as Innovation Officer and Interim CSO, directing preclinical portfolios and research strategy. Rie holds a master’s in biology and a PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Copenhagen, and completed her post-doctorate in cardiovascular research. She is also a member of the Danish Cardiovascular Academy Grant committee.
Commenting on the appointments, Gerhard Koenig, PhD, CEO of Augustine, said:
Augustine is pioneering a new generation of HDAC6 inhibitors and has recently achieved a significant milestone by initiating its first clinical trial of lead candidate AGT-100216 for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. To support the Company’s growth, we have significantly strengthened the management team and are delighted to welcome these new additions to our executive team. Their combined experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to drive our lead program forward and advance our pipeline of next-generation HDAC6 inhibitors in significant cardio-metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. We extend our sincere thanks to Coulter Partners for their outstanding work in identifying and sourcing such high-caliber talent, whose expertise perfectly aligns with our strategic growth and clinical ambitions.
