Last year, more than 290,000 cancer diagnoses were recorded in Spain — steadily rising figures that place the disease among the greatest public health challenges worldwide. On the other side are those working tirelessly to stop it.

“You can never give up.” That’s how Joan Torrejon (Barcelona, 1958), CEO of Cebiotex, a spin-off from the UPC and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, sums it up. The company has developed a biodegradable membrane designed to prevent tumors from returning after surgery — one of the major challenges in oncology.

Torrejon took over leadership of the project in October 2025. A biologist by training, he brings more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having worked at companies such as UCB, Almirall, Esteve, and Biogen.

In this interview, he speaks about the challenges that still lie ahead, the importance of respect within teams, and a place where everything stops: Menorca, “the best place in the world” when it comes to disconnecting.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

JT: Our project aims to help cancer patients avoid relapses and therefore contribute to helping them live longer and with a better quality of life.

TB: At what stage is your project now, and where do you see it in two years?

JT: We are currently in Phase II research in two indications: pancreatic cancer in adults and soft tissue sarcomas in pediatric patients. In two years, I hope we’ll be able to say that we are in a position to improve the lives of people suffering from these diseases.

TB: A key decision that marked your project.

JT: Launching the first Phase I clinical trial in soft tissue sarcoma. We achieved very positive results, and this will have a major positive impact on the company’s evolution and on our ability to improve patients’ prognoses.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and what has it taught you?

JT: Relaunching one of the companies where I worked. With resilience and high-quality work, you can overcome many challenges. You can never give up.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

JT: Deeply respect people.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

JT: More than changing my opinion, I’ve changed the way I approach challenges. You always have to count on people, treat them well, be patient, and keep learning constantly.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

JT: One of my former bosses taught me how to understand people, how to have difficult conversations, and how to enjoy work.

TB: What do you value most in the people you work with?

JT: Authenticity, collaboration among all team members, critical thinking, the ability to give constructive feedback, and courage.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

JT: In the pharmaceutical world, advances in genetics and related sciences — bringing medicine to the highest degree of personalization — will allow us to live much better lives for the years we have. We still face many challenges in oncology, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, degenerative diseases, and rare diseases.

That’s why it’s so important to nurture an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. Investing in R&D is the key. We only need to look back to see the progress made in medicine and biology. Today, we live on average more than 30 years longer than our grandparents and great-grandparents, thanks to advances in healthcare.

AI will also contribute, but on its own it won’t make us live longer. It will, however, make us more efficient.

TB: A startup or company you admire, and why.

JT: BioNTech. They believed in primary research around mRNA — a fundamental molecule in biology that carries DNA instructions — until they built a platform that can help in many areas of medicine. And it helped us emerge from COVID sooner than many of us expected.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

JT: Reading and spending time by the sea. Menorca is the best place in the world for that.

TB: A book you would recommend.

JT: ‘Ithaca’ by Constantine P. Cavafy and ‘The Book of Absences’ by Miquel Martí i Pol.

TB: A song that defines your current moment in life.

JT: ‘Hallelujah’, by Leonard Cohen. 

TB:A recipe, a dish, a restaurant.

JT: 24k-dires in Valldoreix, and Cap Roig in Menorca.

TB: A place in the world.

JT: Menorca. You don’t need to go far to find paradise.

TB: Where would you invest €100k?

JT: In Cebiotex.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

JT: I would still dedicate myself to what I do today. I’m passionate about the pharmaceutical industry and teaching my Master’s students. I’ve been privileged. And the times ahead will be even better — I’m sure we will continue improving people’s lives. It’s a shame that advances in healthcare do not always benefit society as a whole.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

JT: The place where I share the future with my colleagues.