ACZON > Company Info

ACZON SpA is an Italian Biotech Company established in 2001 in Bologna upon an innovative theory about cancer etiopathogenesis, and since then it’s involved in an important oncological research activity focused on the study of the Complement System function.

The Company has its own roots in a very far period than the date of its official foundation as, before, the oncological research, have been privately financed more than a decade by Volta family.

In 2001, a fruitful combination among a skilled entrepreneurial competence, a talented researchers team and a strategic collaboration with advanced University Centers, has been the mainspring of the establishment of ACZON as the current SpA.
The main shareholder is Hydra SpA, Volta family’s industrial holding, which also controls Datalogic SpA, worldwide leader in optical readers for bar codes.

For Our research activity, we needed several substances (i.e. CVF, Plant Toxins, Antibodies) which were much expensive, rarely available on the market and not satisfactory as per quality. As a consequence:

in 2004, we decided to produce inside some of the above products, not only just for captive use but also for the market;
in 2005, we succeeded in employing a Team of Biologists highly specialized in Antibodies purification & conjugation.

Therefore, in parallel to the Oncological Research Activity, ACZON is now carrying out also an important Manufacturing and Sales activity.

ING. ROMANO VOLTA
Chief Executive Officer

He was graduated doctor in electronic engineering, with full marks, at Bologna University.
He was nominated “Cavaliere del Lavoro" by the President of “Repubblica Italiana” in 1997.

He is Chairman of Datalogic spa, company that he has established in 1972.
Datalogic is international leader in systems and instruments for bar-code readers.
He is Chairman of Datasensor spa, company that he has established in 1972. Datasensor is the Italian leader and the third manufacturer in Europe in photoelectric devices for industrial automation (packaging, textile, ceramic and plastic Industries) and supply chain.
He is CEO of Aczon spa, company established in 2001, that works in pharmaceutical research and in the field of biotechnologies, with a particular attention to the study of tumors.
He is Chairman of Hydra spa, company of industrial shareholding that also invests in real estates and in the financial assets.

Main appointment:

President of “Associazione Industriali di Bologna” from 1998, September, to 2004, October. Member of “Giunta di Confindustria Nazionale Italiana”.
Member of “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna”, and vice president of the “Collegio di Indirizzo”.
Member of the Board of Directors of “S. Paolo IMI Fondi Chiusi SGR spa”.
Member of the Advisory Board of Bologna Center of Johns Hopkins University.
Member of the Board of Directors of “Guglielmo Marconi International Fellowship Foundation”.
Member of the Board of Directors of “IMA spa” in Bologna, company leader in packaging machinery for pharmaceutical products.

Married with Mrs. Lucia Fantini, he has 3 children.

Silvia Salomoni
Chief Financial Officer

She took a degree in economics at Bologna University and she has been working in Aczon since its foundation. With the activity growing and employees’ increase she gradually took over more and more responsibilities. Now she’s in charge of the Accounting Department, Purchase Department and Executive Secretary.

Carmen Nocera
Chief Commercial Officer

After graduated in foreign languages she worked as translator and reviser for two publishing houses. Then she covered sales assistance positions serving for different companies. Most recently she worked in the Overseas Sales Department of Datalogic S.p.A. Now she is Responsible for Sales activities and Customer support.

Gianluigi Veronesi
Chief Technology Officer

Dr Veronesi graduated in Biology, in 2000, from the University of Bologna.
The thesis, upon the evaluation of bone marrow transplantation by means of DNA microsatellites analysis, was prepared at the Onco-hemathology Laboratory of the Pediatric Department, leaded by Prof. Guido Paolucci, where Dr. Veronesi worked for two years in the molecular biology sector and he was in charge of the cytogenetics analysis. During this period, he has obtained expertise in DNA and RNA analisys.

He has been working in Aczon since its foundation, devoting himself to an ambitious oncological research project, carried out in cooperation with the most qualified departments of the Bologna University medical Area.
In particular, thanks to Prof. Andrea Bolognesi's support (Experimental Pathology Department of Bologna University), he has gained a broad competence in the study and purification of proteins.
Since 2006 he has been appointed CTO and R&D Manager of Aczon SpA.

Alfredo Ventola, PhD
Operation Manager

Dr Ventola is a biologist with a broad experience in development, production and research in protein science field.
He obtained the Doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Bari.

After academic experience, in an Italian company he contributed to develop a manufacturing line of Antibodies (preparation, purification and conjugation) optimised for use in different applications (eg Flow Cytometry). For this company he covered the charge both of R&D and of Manufacturing manager. Thanks to annual experience in bioconjugation of proteins and in flow cytometric applications, in collaboration of the CNR of Bologna and the INFM of Lecce, he led the Immunology and Biochemistry labs into a start up company (Mediteknology S.r.l.), specialised to develop a technological platform constituted by a new line of fluorescent dye and a new concept of Flow Cytometry. In this time he optimised a different conjugation methods to bind fluorescent dye to the biomolecules (Albumin, Immunoglobulins etc) and to beads.