Dr. van Dongen brings broad industry experience and a strong track record in pharma. She previously held positions at, amongst others, Johnson & Johnson, where she facilitated external partnerships aiming at, e.g., the effective targeting of RNA processing and the discovery of peptide-based therapeutics. Previously, she led numerous R&D projects that included the discovery of highly innovative orally active broad-spectrum influenza antivirals and an R&D platform dedicated to pharmaceutical interventions for disease prevention.

ALLEGRIA's R&D activities focus on mast cells as mediators of allergy and inflammatory diseases, a class of indications that constitutes an increasing burden worldwide.

More and more patients suffer from these conditions, which impact their quality of life. The associated socioeconomic burden is enormous, and despite the growing medical need, the treatment options are still notoriously limited, with overall poor outcomes.