About Landcent

Improving Health to Address Poverty

Malaria is a disease caused by poverty and results in poverty. Its impact is especially ferocious on the poorest, making it a human rights issue.

Poverty-Related Diseases (PRDs) 

The expanding category of poverty-related diseases

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 60% of all people in extreme poverty, more than any other region in the world. Poverty is not merely the absence of money, but the lack of sanitation, unsafe drinking water, poor nutrition, weak health systems and other social determinants of health.

PRDs encompass a wide range of diseases, including the 'Big 3': Malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV. Additionally, this category includes Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as schistosomiasis, and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and the likes.

Malaria

Globally in 2023, there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597 000 malaria deaths in 83 countries. The WHO African Region was home to 94% of malaria cases (246 million) and 95% (569 000) of malaria deaths.

Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasitic worms. In 2021, 151 million were infected, only 75.3 million received treatment, and nearly 13,000 died. Africa bears 90% of the global burden.

Tuberculosis

In 2023, tuberculosis (TB) claimed approximately 1.25 million lives globally, making it the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing both COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. According to the World Health Organization, there were 10.8 million new TB cases reported worldwide in 2023.

HIV

As of 2023, approximately 39.9 million people globally were living with HIV.  In the WHO African Region, about 3.4% of adults are HIV-positive, representing more than two-thirds of the global HIV-positive population.

Highlights

The Origin Story

In 2011, while on a business trip, Arun found himself at the funeral of a 4-year-old girl. She succumbed to malaria – a simple mosquito bite led to this enormous tragedy. It was a life-changing moment. The magnitude of malaria's impact inspired Arun to quit his job and together with business partner Huali (Danny) Lin founded Landcent.

2011

Company Incorporated

Founded by Arun Prabhu and Huali (Danny) Lin

2012

Commenced discussions with WHO

2013

Phase 1 product assessment with Shanghai University of Engineering Science

2014

First qualified products and patents. Partnership with Donghua University

2015

Acquired China National Hi-tech Enterprise certificate

2016

Landcent opens lab in Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry

2017

WHO GCDPP membership

2018

Landcent Europe B.V. incorporated

2019

Successfully completed semi-field trials

2020

Gates Foundation grant I

2021

Global winner of Accelerate2030

2022

ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) approval for Bednet sale in Europe

2023

Gates Foundation grant II

Our Strategy

A two-track approach

Intervention Categories

Landcent's unique
two-track strategy

Near-term - Track 1
Improvements to current malaria preventive technologies by margins that significantly disrupt status quo.

Long-term - Track 2
Discovering and developing new, sustainable active compounds to combat insecticidal resistance and preserve biodiversity.

"Landcent’s efforts play a crucial role in the ongoing battle against malaria, given the plateauing of progress in the light of increasing insecticide resistance. The development and scaling of our advanced vector control products will simultaneously expand the scope of malaria interventions programmes while optimizing their costs."

Arun Prabhu Stanley

Co-founder, Landcent

Landcent Europe

Leadership & Team

Justin Hays
Chief Executive Officer

Justin Hays is the Chief Executive Officer of Landcent Europe. With over a decade of experience in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, he has held senior commercial roles at Horizon Therapeutics and previously served as Vice President of Commercial at Landcent.

Arun Prabhu
Founder & Executive Chairman

Arun Prabhu is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Landcent Europe. He has guided the company from its early-stage research and development into a globally engaged enterprise with a growing pipeline and strong strategic partnerships. With a background in technical textiles and supply chain management, Arun now leads Landcent’s Prevention (Vector Control) business, advancing innovation in malaria prevention across endemic regions.

K. Sasikanth
Head of Finance

Sasikanth has more than 30 years of experience in multiple facets of finance. Prior to joining Landcent, he served as Vice President of Finance and Accounts at SP Mani and Mohan Dairy India Pvt. Ltd., eventually being promoted to COO at the same company.

Dr. Peter Atadja
Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Peter Atadja is the Chief Scientific Officer at Landcent and a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana. He has 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including serving on the founding leadership team of Novartis' major R&D centre in Shanghai, where he led the discovery and clinical translation of multiple first- and best-in-class drug candidates. He also served on the WHO/TDR/ANDI Scientific and Technology Committee to strengthen diagnostic and drug development capacity in Africa. Most recently, he was co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of K-36 Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. Marlize Coleman
Head of Portfolio & Strategy

With a background in public health and a PhD in malaria interventions using innovative technologies, Marlize has helped country programs adopt and expand these tools. She has collaborated with local communities, researchers, industry, and regional governments in Africa to deliver disease prevention solutions. She served as Assistant Director at South Africa's Ministry of Health and as a consultant for WHO and malaria-endemic programs. Marlize has led research and managed initiatives on malaria, HIV, and leishmaniasis in Africa, the Philippines, and India. She has worked with institutions like Colorado State University, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and IVCC.

Andrea Steer
Head of Legal

Andrea is a lawyer with 20+ years’ experience in private practice, in-house counsel, and supervisory board roles. Before Landcent, she worked at Clifford Chance Amsterdam and Randstad, and holds several non-executive directorships. Qualified in South Africa and the UK, her expertise spans corporate governance, M&A, risk, and compliance. At Landcent, she oversees all legal matters, including governance, compliance, policy, joint ventures, and strategic transactions, offering pragmatic legal solutions and board-level insight.

Erik Coumou
Head of Diagnostics

Erik has over 20 years of experience in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. He served in various leadership roles within JNJ and served as Head of Global Feasibility and Head of Vendor management for Vaccine Immunological assays. His expertise includes clinical research, contract management, diagnostics, and partnership management.

Elina Vaarala
Head of Marketing & Communications

With over six years of experience in healthcare marketing and communications, Elina brings strategic insight and hands-on expertise to Landcent, where she leads all corporate marketing and communication efforts. She holds a master’s degree in strategic business development and a bachelor’s in sales and visual marketing.

Kuda Mupfudze
Product Lead, Insecticide-Treated Nets
Samuel Esmeijer
Product Lead, Schistosomiasis Diagnostics
Dominic Forson
Digital and Technology Innovation Lead
Desmond deSilva
Supply Chain Manager
Vincent Jin
Regulatory & Quality Lead
Martina B
Content Lead
Rawaiz Bhatti
Office Manager
Victoria Tetteh
Operations Coordinator
Advisors

Panel of International Experts

Dr. Ebere Igboko

Dr. Ebere is a partner and advisor at Landcent and has over 25 years of experience in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. She has worked at GSK and then at Neimeth Plc (formerly Pfizer) as Managing Director/CEO. While in China, Ebere pioneered “The China Knowledge Center", an innovative healthcare system with comprehensive information on the Chinese pharmaceutical landscape, including disease epidemiology and drugs.

Dr. Mei Wang

Dr. Mei Wang is the founder and CEO of SU Biomedicine and Leiden University (LUECCM). Besides having over 160 publications in international double-refereed journals, she has collaborated with leading universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, and Regensburg. She won the second international contribution award for traditional Chinese medicine science and technology progress in 2020.

Jan Willem de Lange

Jan Willem de Lange is a management executive based in the Netherlands. He spent several years with Exact Software, including as general manager leading its digital transformation journey to the cloud. He was also the VP of the Development of NetEconomy. His specializations include testing, certification, risk management, analytics, data Intelligence, circular economy, supply chain, etc.

Bob Esmeijer

Over the past 30 years, Bob Esmeijer has worked in several leadership positions around the globe, most notably for Philips. Bob has been consulting for several companies, including non-profits, in recent years. He is also on the board of multiple organizations, which greatly benefit from his insights and vast experience. With his roots in the Netherlands, Bob has a passion for working with different cultures in complex environments.

Arco Bobeldijk

Arco Bobeldijk is a tax partner at HVK Stevens in Amsterdam and professor of corporate tax at Nyenrode Business University. He has been advising listed companies and family businesses on tax matters for more than 25 years. He also helps companies resolve tax disputes and acts as expert witness. Arco regularly speaks at seminars and has written a large number of articles.

Arnoud Aalbersberg

A serial entrepreneur and impact investor, is dedicated to achieving a malaria-free world. He established Care Plus®, a renowned travel and health brand featuring a range of highly efficient mosquito repellents, achieving a successful exit in 2022. Since then, Arnoud has invested in numerous social enterprises, start-ups, and scale-ups, contributing to their growth and development. Additionally, he serves as the co-founder and board member of the Dutch Malaria Foundation.He continues to be an entrepreneur at heart, currently managing 3 start-ups of his own.

Shawn der Kinderen

Shawn brings over 25 years of experience as a global corporate and M&A lawyer, with a background in international law across the Netherlands, the UK, and South Africa. A former partner at Freshfields, he led governance, M&A, joint ventures, fundraisings, and strategic as well as licensing collaborations. He previously served as Landcent’s Chief Legal Officer and now supports the leadership team in an advisory capacity.

Thomas John

TJ has over 18 years of experience in corporate and social impact sectors. His expertise includes business strategy, communications and the scaling of impact. He co-founded one of the leading brand consulting firms in Bangalore, working with brands such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, ThoughtWorks and SAP. TJ is an advisor to the UN General Assembly Science Summit.

Careers

Open Positions

At Landcent, we’re always looking for talented, driven individuals who want to contribute to making an impact on global health. Our team is made up of people who are motivated by our mission and inspired to create positive change. If you’re ready to be part of an innovative, dynamic environment where your work truly matters, we’d love to hear from you. Your passion and energy will be a valuable asset to our team as you make meaningful and fulfilling contributions to accelerating the fight against diseases of poverty.

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