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Alessandro Angelini

Chief Scientific Officer, Co-founder | PhD

Dr. Alessandro Angelini brings over two decades of expertise to the discovery, engineering, and characterization of protein- and peptide-based ligands. After earning his PhD in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from the University of Padua (Italy), he held significant research positions at world-class institutions, including the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA). Currently, Dr. Angelini is a tenured Associate Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where he directs the Biomolecular Engineering and Drug Discovery research group.

Mariavittoria Cacace

Chief Financial Officer, Co-founder | PhD

Mariavittoria Cacace is an international tax and corporate advisor with a strong background in business and law. She graduated cum laude in Economics (2012) and Law (2026) and holds a PhD in Business and Law (2017).

A Chartered Accountant since 2014 and Statutory Auditor since 2015, she also serves as President of the Board of Statutory Auditors of Interporto Padova S.p.A. and is a Board Member of the Order of Chartered Accountants of Padova. She has extensive experience in domestic and international tax law, tax litigation, M&A and corporate advisory.

At Arzanya, she is responsible for business and financial strategy, corporate structuring and contractual matters, supporting the company’s growth and profitability.

Zhanna Romanyuk

Biology Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD

Dr. Zhanna Romanyuk possesses over five years of specialized experience in the discovery and characterization of macrocyclic peptide ligands. She earned her Master's degree in Health Biology from the University of Padua (Italy) and completed her PhD in Science and Technology of Bio and Nanomaterials at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy). Part of her doctoral research was conducted abroad as a visiting scholar at the CHUV institute of Lausanne (Switzerland). Her doctoral work focused on identifying macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of extracellular enzymes. Dr. Romanyuk currently leads all activities related to protein target production, purification, and characterization across various cell host systems. Furthermore, she is responsible for managing cell-based assays and spearheads internal research on strategic company projects.

Ylenia Mazzocato

Chemical Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD

Dr. Ylenia Mazzocato has several years of experience in the discovery and characterization of macrocyclic peptide ligands. She holds a Master's degrees in Chemistry from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy), where she also earned her Ph.D. in Science and Technology of Biomaterials. Her doctoral research, conducted in collaboration with Mayo Clinic (USA), focused on developing genetically encoded macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of multiple cancer-associated proteases. Dr. Mazzocato currently leads the platform's activities related to macrocyclic peptide-discovery strategies, feasibility assessments, and comprehensive molecular and biochemical characterization.

Sara Linciano

Biotechnology Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD

Dr. Sara Linciano has over seven years of experience in establishing cell-based platforms for the discovery and characterization of macrocyclic peptide ligands. She holds a Master's degree in Science and Technology of Biomaterials from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy). Dr. Linciano earned a double PhD from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Kyoto Institute of Technology (Japan). Her research cantered on developing high-throughput selection platforms to identify, characterize, and engineer novel macrocyclic peptide ligands with enhanced pharmacological properties. Dr. Linciano currently leads project design, feasibility assessment, platform implementation, and protein-peptide characterization using complementary biophysical techniques.

ABOUT ARZANYA

Our mission is to advance the development of next-generation therapies through an innovative platform for the identification of macrocyclic peptide ligands targeting a wide range of therapeutic targets.

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We leverage a fully-trackable and adaptable approach to rapidly screen billions of macrocyclic peptide topologies, delivering tailored solutions for industrial partners and research institutions seeking a cutting-edge drug discovery pipeline.

Our goal is to empower the progress of precision medicine with reliable and efficient tools that accelerate the discovery of new treatments for complex and currently untreatable diseases.

OUR HISTORY

Arzanya is a biotechnological platform built to accelerate the identification and quantitative characterization of potent, selective macrocyclic peptides for therapeutic use.

Our name is derived from the word “arzanà,” first used by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy to describe the mighty Arsenal of the Venetian Republic (Serenissima). Today, Arzanya offers a new kind of "arsenal"—one based on macrocyclic peptide ligands—to combat a wide range of diseases.

We leverage a fully trackable and adaptable technology to rapidly screen billions of diverse macrocyclic peptide topologies, delivering tailored solutions for patients, industrial partners, and research institutions seeking a cutting-edge drug discovery pipeline.

Our goal is to drive the progress of precision medicine with reliable, efficient tools that accelerate the discovery of treatments for complex and currently untreatable diseases.

By bridging the expertise of leading research institutions—from EPFL in Lausanne to MIT in Boston—Arzanya continues to grow. Our experienced team is committed to discovering new therapeutics by offering rapid, cost-effective solutions. Arzanya is an arsenal fighting for human health.

Our team

Built on several years of experience and supported by a distinguished advisory board.

Alessandro Angelini
Chief Scientific Officer, Co-founder | PhD
Mariavittoria Cacace
Chief Financial Officer, Co-founder | PhD
Zhanna Romanyuk
Biology Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD
Ylenia Mazzocato
Chemical Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD
Sara Linciano
Biotechnology Senior Scientist, Co-founder | PhD

Scientific Advisory Board

Prof. Dario Neri

Prof. at ETH of Zurich (CH), Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
Post-doc at Medical Research Council Centre in Cambridge (UK)
PhD in Chemistry (ETH Zurich)
Co-founder, CEO and CSO of Philogen and Philochem

Prof. Christian Heinis

Prof. at EPFL of Lausanne (CH), Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Post-docs at EPFL and at Medical Research Council Centre in Cambridge (UK)
PhD in Chemistry (ETH Zurich)
Co-founder of Bicycle Therapeutics and Orbis Medicines

Prof. Xudong Kong

Prof. at School of Life Sciences and Technology Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
Post-doc at EPFL (CH)
PhD in Biochemical Engineering at Bioengineering School East China University of Science & Technology (CN)

Prof. Michael Traxlmayr

Head of BOKU-module of CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells in Wien (AT)
Post-docs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US) and BOKU University
PhD in Biotechnology (BOKU)
Network

Academic partnerships

Arzanya, the platform to discover and characterise novel macrocyclic peptide ligands towards disease-relevant therapeutic targets.

info@arzanya.com

OPERATIVAL HQ

Via Torino 155
Mestre (VE) 30172
ITALY

REGISTERED HQ

Via C. Rezzonico 6
Padova (PD) 35131
ITALY

CONTACTS

info@arzanya.com
+39 041 234 8590

© 2026 Arzanya – Crafted by marcoterren.com.