Erich founded Cedrus Therapeutics Inc. in May 2008 to develop novel therapeutic concepts and medicines. He is also an independent board member of several biotech companies including Cellerys AG (Cofounder, Chairman), PharmaBiome AG (Chairman), Tolremo Therapeutics AG and Topas Therapeutics GmbH (Chairman).

Prior to that, he held various senior positions at Evotec, including Chief Innovation Officer and Member of the Management Team. He was responsible for science, corporate strategy and corporate development from 2002 through 2008 and initiated several business collaborations and public-private partnerships including the European Screening Port and the NEU2 BioPharma Consortium.

Prior to joining Evotec, Erich was a Research Associate at the German Research Cancer Center in Heidelberg, from where he spun off Pointer Pharmaceuticals AG (later PheneX Pharmaceuticals). Erich was trained in mathematics and medicine at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, USA.

He serves as a strategic advisor and reviewer for several governmental, public and private institutions in the US and in Europe, including the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Health.