Xoma Corporation focuses on the discovery of monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics. Monoclonal antibody therapy allows the immune system to attack specific cells or proteins, thus preventing or curing disease—to put it simply. For example, Xoma is currently in test phases for reversing severe acne and erosive osteoarthritis of the hand. The company website boasts, "XOMA's world-class monoclonal antibody technologies have contributed to the development of marketed biologics with a total of more than $1 billion in annual sales and for which XOMA received substantial royalties."
Varian has been involved with Xoma since 2008, first as a director, and later becoming the CEO in January 2012. Previously, he was at Aryx Therapeutics as COO (2003-2011) and CFO (2006-2011). He also served as CFO at Genset S.A., and in several other notable positions. Varian is a founding member of the Bay Area Bioscience Center and a former chairman of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers International Conference.
To learn more about Xoma, and what they're working on, please follow the link below: