- Former senior vice president of antibody research at Genmab who has co-invented numerous FDA-approved therapeutic antibodies and as well as its DuoBody®bi-specific antibody platform
- Brings decades of experience in developing strong pipelines of antibody-based drugs from platforms, growing scientific teams and managing partnerships with Pharma companies
- Appointment comes as Commit looks to progress towards drug candidate (DC) nomination in cancer and autoimmune disease in 2025
AARHUS, Denmark, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Commit Biologics ("Commit"), a pioneer in the activation of the complement system to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, today announces the appointment of Janine Schuurman, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors.
Dr Schuurman is a widely recognized scientific leader with over 25 years' experience in antibody research, discovery, and development. She is the co-inventor of several FDA approved drugs, including amivantamab (RYBREVANT® Janssen) and epcoritamab (EPKINLY® Genmab/Abbvie).
Dr Schuurman also played a key role in the development of antibody platform technologies while at Genmab, such as DuoBody® and HexaBody®, and rose to become Senior Vice President, Head of Antibody Research and Development. A renowned speaker at scientific conferences, Dr Schuurman is currently President of The Antibody Society, a highly regarded non-profit supporting antibody-related research and development.
Krishna Polu, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Commit Biologics, said: "Janine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will greatly benefit Commit - both in terms of the science of antibody research and development, and in the practical know-how of building teams, pipelines and partnerships that is so essential to achieving drug approvals success. Her experience in developing meaningful therapeutic antibodies and antibody platforms will be invaluable. We look forward to partnering with her and the board to advance Commit's BiCE platform to DC candidate selection in 2025."
Janine Schuurman, PhD, newly appointed Board Member of Commit Biologics, said: "Commit's BiCE platform, which has the potential to give antibody therapeutics the power to strongly activate the complement system, is an extremely exciting technology. I look forward to helping Commit advance BiCE from platform to pipeline, using all the scientific and operational experience I have gained over the years I have been successfully developing antibody-based drugs."
Dr Schuurman holds a PhD in molecular immunology from the University of Amsterdam.
Commit Biologics is advancing development of its Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE) technology, which is designed to potently activate the complement system - a part of the immune system which has often been overlooked in terms of its therapeutic potential. BiCE uses single domain antibodies that bind to the complement protein C1q, thus directing the complement system in a highly selective way against tumor cells or cells implicated in autoimmune disease.
Dr Schuurman, who previously served as a scientific advisor to Commit, joins its Board of Directors with immediate effect.
About Commit Biologics
Commit Biologics (Commit) is a pioneer in activating the complement system to kill specific target cells, with applications in cancers and autoimmune diseases. Spun out of Aarhus University, and building on more than three decades of research, Commit's Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE) platform can supercharge a conventional monoclonal antibody to activate the complement system more effectively. This is achieved by combining single domain antibodies that engage C1q, the starting point for the complement activation cascade, with an antibody that binds to a cellular target. The modular approach of the BiCE technology can be used to develop therapeutics across multiple tumor-associated antigens and immune cell targets. Complement is a largely untapped aspect of the body's natural immune system that leverages both the direct cytolytic activity of complement along with its ability to bridge recruitment and activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells - a new approach to killing cells which can be used in combination or on a standalone basis. Commit is backed by major investors including Bioqube Ventures, Novo Holdings and Korys.
About the complement system
The complement system is part of the body's immune system that has previously been largely untapped therapeutically. The activation of the classical complement pathway, which has a role in health for pathogen defense, begins with the engagement of C1q to antibodies that coat the cell surface and ends with the activation of a cytolytic complement complex directly leading to cell lysis. However, current monoclonal antibodies developed for therapeutic purposes have structural restraints that hinder effective engagement to C1q, thus limiting complement mediated cytotoxicity and other complement mediated effector functions. This, plus the presence of natural cell bound complement inhibitors that are upregulated in cancer, and low target densities, make conventional therapeutic antibodies poor complement activators. Commit's BiCE technology was developed to overcome these barriers, to harness the power of the complement system and direct it towards tumor and immune cells for therapeutic applications. Unleashing this power in a highly targeted way with Commit's technology potentially allows for a broad therapeutic index and the development of highly effective treatments.
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