Founding of BioNotus

The name BioNotus was given to indicate ‘what is known’ (in Latin: notus) by bioanalysis. It all started with bioanalysis in Q2 2017. BioNotus’ founders Johan Van Daele and Pieter Annaert are best friends since their time (1989 onwards) as pharmacy students at KU Leuven. Until 2017 they both developed their unique career paths.

Johan rejuvenated his mother’s pharmacy and specialized in developing and improving innovative formulations prepared in the pharmacy. He also acquired the skills of entrepreneurship and marketing as partner in Carl&Johan.

Pieter followed a mixed path between academia and pharmaceutical industry and is currently Full professor and Chair of the KU Leuven Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences.

The need to professionalize bioanalytical support and to offer adequate capacity to clinical researchers in academic hospitals was the initial trigger to found BioNotus. But above all, Johan and Pieter wanted to have fun and enjoy applying and disseminating their complementary skills and knowledge. They have the continued vision to help researchers in need of affordable bioanalytical capabilities with acceptable timelines. Offering fit-for-purpose solutions is BioNotus’ legacy.

BioNotus team

BioNotus is nowadays blessed with talented scientists in the fields of Bioanalysis, Pharmacometrics (PMX) and In vitro ADMET evaluation. The PMX pillar resulted from the customers requests following bioanalytical services, fulfilling the critical step of turning data into actionable insights. BioNotus now has PMX experience both with the classical top-down and more physiologically relevant bottom-up computational approaches. And from Pieter’s academic habitat, the decades of expertise in the field of in vitro testing of Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity, has seamlessly integrated in BioNotus’ portfolio of capabilities.

Yeghig Armoudjian

Senior Scientist Bioanalysis

Yeghig Armoudjian

Senior Scientist Bioanalysis

Yeghig Armoudjian obtained his Master degree in Chemical technologies in Armenia. Since 2014, Yeghig ambitiously worked to develop and validate more than fourteen bioanalytical methods (in accordance with FDA and EMA guidelines), for the determination of pharmaceuticals in human plasma using UHPLC - MS/MS. These methods were applied to analyse clinical samples for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. Yeghig's chemistry background and his determined work in the laboratory resulted in faster and more robust sample preparation techniques. Yeghig gained extensive troubleshooting skills while working with Sciex TQ MS/MSs, as well as Agilent and Shimadzu UHPLCs: these highly sensitive instruments need abundant care, to ensure continuous system performance, while obtaining reliable data and safeguarding instrument longevity. While working in a regulated environment, Yeghig adhered to the principles of GLP in all his laboratory activities. Some of Yeghig's activities have been published in highly ranked scientific journals.

Qi Lin

Senior Scientist Bioanalysis

Qi Lin

Senior Scientist Bioanalysis

Qi Lin achieved her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at KU Leuven in 2019. Her expertise in LC method development and validation devotes to solve challenges on separation in the LC analysis of complex pharmaceutical substances (i.e. biosynthesized antibiotics or structurally similar compounds) or complex mixtures (i.e. drug product, tablets, injections, etc.). She has previously worked as an external research member for European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) in 2015 – 2019, as part of the PhD job responsibilities. Three LC methods were successfully developed and validated for the individual analysis of spiramycin, tylosin and apramycin, to separate and detect the API and >30 structurally related impurities. Meanwhile, several unknown impurities of three antibiotics were also characterized using LC-MS/MS for the first time. These LC methods have been reviewing by EDQM in order to be enrolled as standards in the European Pharmacopoeia. Since 2014, she has also worked for projects outsourced by UZ Leuven and pharmaceutical manufacturers, containing the analysis of different pharmaceutical products (tablets, injection, suspension and infusion) and API (prostaglandin, papaverine, sufentanil, ropivacaine, chirocaine, lincomycin, vancomycin, polymyxin and tobramycin) including method development and validation, assay, European Pharmacopoeial test and stability study. More than 20 projects have been completed with a high quality to the satisfaction of customers.

Rodolfo Hernandes Bonan

Scientist Pharmacometrics

Rodolfo Hernandes Bonan

Scientist Pharmacometrics

Rodolfo Hernandes Bonan obtained his Master degree in Civil Engineering in Brazil. Since 2019 Rodolfo started developing scripts and tools using R and Python focused in statistical analysis and data visualization. Experience in the Pharmacometrics field using softwares like PK-Sim/MoBi (Open systems pharmacology®) and Monolix Suite (Lixoft®).

Siemon De Nys

Scientist Bioanalysis

Siemon De Nys

Scientist Bioanalysis

Siemon De Nys achieved his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven in 2021 focusing on trace amounts of impurities (endocrine disruptors) in dental filling materials using UPLC-MS/MS. Before joining BioNotus, he has previously worked at the University Hospital of Leuven (UZ Leuven), where he developed and validated (enzymatic) assays for clinical diagnostics of (inborn) metabolic disorders using GC-MS, FTIR, spectrophotometry and fluorometry.

Pieter Annaert

CSO

Pieter Annaert

CSO

Pieter Annaert is Professor at the Drug Delivery and Disposition lab of the KU Leuven department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences. His research in the field of mechanistic pharmacokinetics focuses on hepatobiliary drug disposition, drug transporters, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, pediatric drug development and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling. After graduation as a Pharmacist in 1994 (KU Leuven), Dr. Annaert obtained his PhD from the same university in 1998, and did a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Subsequently, he held the positions of Scientist and Senior Scientist (2001-2005) at the Department of Preclinical Pharmacokinetics of Johnson & Johnson PRD. Prof. Annaert joined the KU Leuven Drug Delivery and Disposition lab in October 2005, where he is currently supervising a group of 7 PhD researchers and one postdoctoral fellow. In the past 10 years, he has (co)-supervised 13 PhD researchers. Prof. Annaert has co-authored 120 research articles and currently serves on the editorial boards of Drug Metabolism and Disposition and Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. For many years, Prof. Annaert has been teaching courses on pharmacokinetics, drug development and drug compounding. Bewteen 2014 and 2020, he was program director for the Bachelor and Master programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences at KU Leuven. Since 2020 he is the Chair of the KU Leuven Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences.

Johan Van Daele

CEO

Johan Van Daele

CEO

Johan Van Daele got his master degree in pharmacy at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium). He has more than 20 years experience in the field of pharmacy, research and development of drugs, food supplements and cosmetics. He developed a passion for really helping people and making the difference where he can, in his pharmacy as well as in a Congo based NGO where he acts as public health coach. He had the opportunity of experiencing entrepreneurship and management at C&J Laboratories, where he is also in charge of R&D. Johan is happily married with Ann, and they are blessed with 2 wonderful children: Hanne-Elisabeth and Simon-Elias.

BioNotus Milestones

Company presentation