SphingoTec appoints Jörg Menten as CEO to accelerate commercialization and global growth
• SphingoTec appoints Jörg Menten as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as from July 1, 2022 to drive the commercialization and scale its diagnostic business.
• SphingoTec is a commercial-stage diagnostic company focusing on innovative critical care diagnostics made available on multiple IVD platforms.
• Founder Dr. Andreas Bergmann transitions his role as CEO to Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) to ensure scientific leadership of the company.
Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany, June 30, 2021 –
Diagnostics company SphingoTec GmbH (“SphingoTec”) today announced that Jörg Menten was appointed CEO of SphingoTec effective of July 1, 2022. Jörg Menten, previously acting as Chief Commercial Officer of the company, will focus on successfully commercializing the biomarker-based diagnostics that address high unmet needs in critical care settings. Dr. Andreas Bergmann assumes the role of CSO within SphingoTec to further develop strategic innovations.
Jörg Menten is a highly skilled senior executive with a long-standing track record of leadership positions in the global healthcare industry. With an MBA from the University of Mannheim, he spent more than 13 years with Boehringer Mannheim in several roles contributing to its steep global growth in all care settings – patient monitoring, Point of Care, and Lab Diagnostics. As CFO of the Boehringer Mannheim Group, he had a significant role in its acquisition through Roche AG in 1998. Menten served as President International for Kinetic Concepts Inc. driving the global adoption of its wound-healing technology VAC® and its IPO on NYSE in 2004. Later, he served as CEO of Vanguard AG, Berlin, a European market leader in hospital services. In his position as President International for CeloNova Inc. he led the global commercialization of Embozene Tandem®, an innovative drug delivery system applied in Interventional Radiology settings for the treatment of liver cancer; acquired by Boston Scientific in 2015.
Jörg Menten commented on his appointment, “I am pleased to support SphingoTec in such an exciting time in its evolution. The products developed under the leadership of Dr. Andreas Bergmann have the potential to change the standard of care in diagnosing critically ill patients. Together with Dr. Angelo Moesslang, Chief Financial Officer, we have the clear mission of bringing innovations to the patients. I look forward to further scaling and accelerating SphingoTec’s growth.”
Gerald Möller, Chairman of the Advisory Board at SphingoTec, said, „On behalf of the Advisory board and all the employees, I would like to thank Dr. Andreas Bergmann for his restless dedication to discovering actionable Biomarkers in Critical Care. These are the basis for developing precision medicine from research to medical practice in a global business. The successful integration of our Nexus POC platform advanced SphingoTec to a diagnostic solution provider. With his future support as CSO, we can continue the innovation legacy at SphingoTec.
On behalf of the Advisory Board, I welcome Jörg Menten in his new capacity as CEO of SphingoTec. His tremendous experience in our global industry will help grow our company to become a key provider of diagnostic innovations in Critical Care. Dynamics and discipline will foster the company’s expansion. His experience as CCO of SphingoTec will help drive and accelerate growth and success. I look forward to a creative and exciting dialogue with Jörg and the Management Team.”
Dr. Andreas Bergmann explained, “SphingoTec has now reached a full commercial stage, and we have built a strong leadership team that can support scaling the business. As my personal goal lies in further developing medical innovations, I have decided to shift my focus at SphingoTec from the CEO role to the CSO position. With this change, I will be able to direct my resources on the further development and research of the products at SphingoTec and on developing precision medicine solutions.”
About SphingoTec
SphingoTec GmbH ("SphingoTec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) develops and markets innovative in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests for novel and proprietary biomarkers for the diagnosis, prediction, and monitoring of critical medical conditions. SphingoTec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes bioactive Adrenomedullin (bio-ADM), a biomarker for real-time assessment of endothelial function in conditions like sepsis, and Proenkephalin (penKid), a biomarker for real-time assessment of kidney function. Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3 (DPP3) is a biomarker for cardiac depression. IVD tests for SphingoTec’s biomarkers are made available as sphingotest® microtiter plate tests as well as point-of-care tests on the Nexus IB10 immunoassay platform by SphingoTec’s subsidiary Nexus Dx Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA). The Nexus IB10 portfolio is complemented by established and commonly used biomarker tests for acute and critical care such as PCT, Troponin, NT-proBNP, D-Dimer, TSH and others.
Media contact:
Dr. Ulrike Glaubitz
Senior Public Relations Specialist
SphingoTec GmbH
Neuendorfstr. 15 A
16761 Hennigsdorf
Tel. +49-3302-20565-113
• New ELISA sphingotest® penKid® enables widespread measurement of the kidney function biomarker Proenkephalin 119-159 (penKid) using standard laboratory equipment. • Only available test to match SphingoTec’s reference chemiluminescence assay, developed with patented high-sensitivity technology to provide consistent results across platforms. Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany, April 28 2026 - SphingoTec GmbH announces the launch of the ELISA sphingotest® penKid®, a new assay designed to make testing of its proprietary biomarker broadly accessible to research laboratories and pharmaceutical partners. Providing ease-of-use and precision, the test facilitates large-scale investigations of human kidney function in both acute and broader clinical research contexts. Responding to growing research interest The launch follows increasing demand from the scientific community to study penKid - a biomarker reflecting the current state of kidney function in critical care environments. While SphingoTec’s high-sensitivity sphingotest® penKid® assay serves as the reference method for clinical research and third-party IVD assays, the assay technology requiring dedicated equipment was not easily adoptable in research laboratories. The new ELISA sphingotest® penKid® now allows researchers worldwide to benefit from SphingoTec’s patented detection technology using standard photometers, extending penKid testing capability to a wider range of laboratories. Proven performance and data continuity The ELISA sphingotest® penKid® has been developed to achieve excellent correlation with SphingoTec’s reference chemiluminescence assay, ensuring consistent, high-quality results across different assay platforms. Both methods share the same underlying technology capable of detecting penKid concentrations in the picomolar range. Thanks to this technology transfer, researchers can rely on the same analytical precision and reliability that supported the clinical studies establishing penKid as a valuable kidney function biomarker. The assay’s robust design and German manufacturing ensure durable consistency and reproducibility. With this research-use ELISA, SphingoTec responds to the increasing availability of non-validated assays and encourages researchers to not compromise assay quality and performance to ensure trustworthy results - since data from non-validated tests may reflect assay limitations rather than the true performance of the penKid biomarker. Complementary approaches for clinical use and scientific exploration SphingoTec pursues its commercial strategy for the biomarker penKid through strategic out-licensing partnerships such as Boditech Med, which has developed an IVDR-certified assay for routine clinical use and rapid diagnostics. The newly launched ELISA sphingotest® penKid® represents a complementary initiative, specifically designed to support high-throughput clinical and translational research. Through this dual approach, SphingoTec reaffirms its commitment to fostering scientific collaboration and promoting the broader exploration of penKid across diverse research settings. “Developing the ELISA sphingotest® penKid® reflects our long-term commitment to improving critical care diagnostics,” said Deborah Bergmann, Managing Director and CEO of SphingoTec GmbH. “Beyond its currently validated clinical applications, we see strong potential for penKid to support research and improve diagnostics in other fields where kidney function is relevant. By encouraging scientists worldwide to incorporate penKid into their studies and clinical programs, we aim to accelerate innovation and advance best-fit diagnostic solutions that ultimately improve patient care.” About SphingoTec SphingoTec GmbH ("SphingoTec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) is a biomarker company focusing on the out-licensing of innovative critical care solutions for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring acute medical conditions. SphingoTec develops its biomarkers to the commercial stage and partners with IVD companies to make them available on different IVD platforms. SphingoTec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid), a biomarker for the assessment of kidney function in critical diseases, and bioactive Adrenomedullin 1-52 (bio-ADM), a biomarker for the assessment of endothelial function in conditions like sepsis. Discover more on www.sphingotec.com Media Contact: Email: press@sphingotec.com Phone +49-3302-20565-0 SphingoTec GmbH Neuendorfstr. 15A 16761 Hennigsdorf, Germany
• PenKid surpasses serum creatinine on Day 1 post-transplant in detecting delayed graft function (DGF), with an AUROC of 0.87 versus 0.56 for creatinine. • PenKid differentiates slow graft function (SGF) from DGF up to 8 days earlier than current methods, supporting more timely clinical decisions. • PenKid levels remain unaffected by kidney replacement therapy (KRT), allowing for more accurate assessment of kidney function. • Independent validation in transplant cohort from Australia confirms performance and broad applicability. Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany, July 1, 2025 - Diagnostic company SphingoTec GmbH (“SphingoTec”) announces a landmark study (1) published in Transplant International, led by Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany in collaboration with researchers from Sydney, Australia, which identifies Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid) as a reliable biomarker for early and precise assessment of graft function trajectories following kidney transplantation. The research demonstrates that PenKid not only identifies patients at risk for DGF significantly earlier than traditional markers but also distinguishes between slow and delayed graft function with remarkable accuracy, offering clinicians a valuable new tool for patient management. The study prospectively evaluated 159 consecutive kidney transplant recipients at Heidelberg University Hospital and validated findings in an independent cohort from Sydney. PenKid consistently outperformed serum creatinine (SCr) in predicting graft function trajectories, particularly in the critical early post-transplant period. Notably, PenKid’s ability to remain unaffected by KRT—a treatment for severe kidney dysfunction—further sets it apart from SCr, which can be influenced by non-renal factors and KRT itself, thereby enhancing the reliability of graft function assessment. Multivariate analysis confirmed PenKid as the strongest independent predictor of both short-term graft function and 30-day outcomes, underscoring its clinical utility for early risk stratification. The biomarker’s superior granularity allows for nuanced classification of DGF severity, supporting more informed decisions regarding the initiation of dialysis or biopsy and offering potential for individualized patient care. With these findings, penKid steps forward as a practical addition to the transplant clinician’s toolkit, promising to sharpen decision-making for optimal outcomes. Its adoption could help transplant teams act with greater confidence and precision, ultimately strengthening the standard of care in kidney transplantation. ## References 1. Benning L et al. (2025) Proenkephalin A 119-159 in Kidney Transplantation: A Novel Biomarker for Superior Tracking of Graft Function Trajectories. Transpl. Int. 38:14366. doi: 10.3389/ti.2025.14366 About SphingoTec SphingoTec GmbH ("SphingoTec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) is a biomarker company focusing on the out-licensing of innovative critical care solutions for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring acute medical conditions. SphingoTec develops its biomarkers to the commercial stage and partners with IVD companies to make them available on different IVD platforms. SphingoTec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid), a biomarker for the assessment of kidney function in critical diseases, commercially available on diagnostic platforms AFIAS and Nexus IB10 and bioactive Adrenomedullin 1-52 (bio-ADM), a biomarker for the assessment of endothelial function in conditions like sepsis. Discover more on www.sphingotec.com Contact : Ruxandra Lenz Marketing and Communication SphingoTec GmbH Phone +49-3302-20565-0 Email: press@sphingotec.com