Michael Hodges

Partner, Claris Ventures

Michael is a highly experienced and successful pharmaceutical industry veteran. He has worked on multiple drug development programs in big PHARMA as the team leader/team member that have led to global regulatory approvals. Within biotech he has been part of teams that have raised Series B and C rounds of financing (~$150MM), F-1/IPO submission, reverse merger and successful M&As. He has deep disease-specific and RNA therapeutics drug development expertise. He is currently supporting a number of Biotechnology companies and VCs in the role of scientific advisor and/or board director.


Michael is a partner at Claris Ventures a biotechnology venture capital fund based in Turin (Italy) with the mission to unlock the full potential of the Italian R&D ecosystem by establishing biotechnology NewCos founded on transformational IP from top Italian scientists and to develop/nurture the early stage Biotechs as they become established and grow. Also, he is a member of the science advisory boards of Adjuvant Capital, Arcturus Therapeutics, Cerberus Therapeutics, Memo Therapeutics, MiNA Therapeutics, Ochre Therapeutics, RiboX Therapeutics and Tether Therapeutics. He is on the board of directors of Hybridize Therapeutics, Telesis Bio and AbVacc. He is also CEO of 1strand, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote R&D for San Diego County RNA therapeutics cluster and to be a forum for continual education to highlight the positive impact of RNA medicines on public health.
Michael was previously the CMO of Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, developing small molecule and mono clonal antibody drug treatments for life-threatening viral and fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. The company was acquired by Pfizer, Inc. Prior to Amplyx he was the CMO and head of drug development for Santaris A/S, developing RNA targeting drug treatments for chronic viral diseases, cancer, metabolic/lipid and eye diseases. The company was acquired by Hoffman-La Roche, AG.

Michael started his career in pharmaceutical medicines with Pfizer Global Research and Development where he worked on multiple infectious diseases and oncology development programs. Under his leadership two antifungal drugs where approved, VFEND® (voriconazole) and ERAXIS™ (anidulafungin).

Michael was a Non-Executive Director of F2G Ltd., an infectious disease biotechnology company from 2010-2014. He earned his M.D. (MBBS) and BSc. in Pharmacology, from the University of London, UK.