Thestra Oy has appointed Tomi Numminen as the company’s first Chief Executive Officer, effective at the beginning of September 2025. Tomi brings extensive leadership experience from the life sciences sector, covering venture financing, corporate partnerships, as well as licensing and M&A transactions. He adds substantial business expertise to complement Thestra’s strong clinical and technological capabilities.
“I am truly pleased that Tomi Numminen will become Thestra’s first CEO. The results of our product development are very promising, as strongly supported by the article published this summer in the prestigious EMBO Molecular Medicine journal. Our EPLINEX® method, which identifies the aggressiveness of head and neck cancers, is ready to progress on its commercialization pathway. Tomi’s nearly thirty years of experience in the life sciences, combined with the strategic and operational skills he has demonstrated in his previous roles, will accelerate the advancement of EPLINEX® towards clinical use – for the benefit of both patients and society,” says Tom Palenius, Chairman of the Board of Thestra Oy.
“It is a privilege to join at such an early stage in developing a groundbreaking cancer diagnostic and to contribute to shaping the company’s strategic direction. Thestra’s EPLINEX® method will significantly change global diagnostics and treatment guidelines for HPV-negative head and neck cancers. In the future, EPLINEX® may also be developed to provide cancer diagnostics beyond head and neck cancers. I am excited about Thestra’s potential and confident that my experience and contribution can help realize these opportunities as we embark together on a path of growth and success,” says Tomi Numminen.
For further information:
Tom Palenius
Chairman of the Board, Thestra Oy
Tel. +358 40 550 1126
tom.palenius@outlook.com
Thestra Oy (www.thestra.fi) is a growth-stage startup based in Turku, Finland, specializing in diagnostics for head and neck cancers. The company is founded on research collaboration between Sami Ventelä and Jukka Westermarck at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital. Thestra’s proprietary EPLINEX® method enables patients to avoid unnecessarily aggressive treatments and helps optimize healthcare costs. In addition, the company is developing an AI-based digital pathology solution to further refine patient prognoses and increase the reliability of treatment selection.
