AiCuris, an anti-infective specialist based in Wuppertal, Germany, has expanded its management staff. Dr. Manickam Rangaraju joined AiCuris as head of development and Dr. Alexander Birkmann has been named head of research. 

Rangaraju is responsible for all preclinical and clinical activities of the company. Rangaraju is a medical doctor and has long standing experience in the anti-infective field. He has more than 40 years of management experience in R&D and clinical practice. Previously, he was responsible for the clinical development of anti-infectives in Swiss-based Polyphor, was therapeutic head at Actelion and head of clinical development at Novexel. Most of his experience in pharmaceutical development he had been with Hoechst/Aventis, which he left in 2004.

Birkmann has worked with AiCuris since its spin-out from Bayer in 2006. As project director, he has been responsible for AiCuris' herpes simplex virus project through phase II. He previously worked at Bayer as laboratory head in the virology research department. Birkmann now is taking over the responsibilities for all research activities of AiCuris from Dr. Holger Zimmermann.