- Industry and scientific experts in molecular biology, immunology and antibody research appointed to help develop Commit’s BiCE™ technology platform to treat autoimmune disease and cancer
- Leading antibody expert Janine Schuurman to co-chair Commit’s Scientific Advisory Board alongside Commit’s CEO Mikkel Wandahl Pedersen
- Joined by Paul Parren, Gavin Thurston, Susan Kalled, and Esper Boel on the Scientific Advisory Board
Aarhus, Denmark, 4 June 2025 - Commit Biologics (“Commit”), a pioneer in the activation of the complement system to treat autoimmune disease and cancer, today announces the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with the appointment of five leading industry and scientific experts.
The newly formed board will be co-chaired by leading antibody expert Janine Schuurman, PhD, and Commit’s CEO Mikkel Wandahl Pedersen. They are being joined by Professor of Molecular Immunology, former Genmab SVP and serial biotech entrepreneur Paul Parren, PhD; former Regeneron SVP of Oncology Research Gavin Thurston, PhD; esteemed immunologist Susan Kalled, PhD, who has previously worked as CSO at both Dianthus Therapeutics and Compass Therapeutics; and molecular biologist Esper Boel, PhD, previously CTO at Symphogen and Corporate Vice President and Head of Biotechnology at Novo Nordisk.
The SAB will provide constructive feedback to Commit’s management team and Board of Directors as the Company further develops its Bispecific Complement Engager (BiCE™) technology platform.
Mikkel Wandal Pedersen, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Commit Biologics, said:
“Forming Commit’s Scientific Advisory Board is a pivotal step in our mission to bring first-in-class complement engager therapeutics to patients. I am very pleased that we have been able to gather such an accomplished group of people with deep immunology and drug-development experience. I am confident that their collective insight will sharpen our strategy and accelerate advancement of our pipeline.”
Scientific Advisory Board
Janine Schuurman, PhD, is a molecular immunologist who has contributed to six FDA- and EMA-approved therapeutic antibodies, including four therapeutics from Genmab’s DuoBody bispecific antibody platform. She spent 22 years at Genmab, most recently as Senior Vice President, Head of Antibody Research and Technology, propelling the discovery and development of investigational therapies to treat cancer and other diseases. Besides serving as an independent biotech consultant providing expert advice to a number of life sciences companies, Janine also serves as board member and President of The Antibody Society.
Gavin Thurston, PhD, is a highly experienced R&D executive and scientific leader with over 20 years of experience in oncology research. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Oncology Research at Regeneron, where he played a pivotal role in the successful clinical development of LIBTAYO® and the ongoing late-stage clinical testing of seven other antibodies and bispecific antibodies. Following his time at Regeneron, Dr Thurston has been involved in a number of consultancy projects with antibody therapeutic companies.
Paul Parren, PhD, is a molecular immunologist who has contributed to nine FDA- and EMA-approved therapeutic antibodies, including four therapeutics from Genmab’s DuoBody bispecific antibody platform. He has spent over 25 years translating antibody knowledge into innovative therapies including 15 years at Genmab, where he headed preclinical R&D. More recently he was head of R&D at LAVA Therapeutics NV, which obtained a NASDAQ listing during his five-year tenure. He currently serves as Professor of Molecular Immunology at Leiden University Medical Centre in The Netherlands, is chairman of the board of The Antibody Society, provides expert advice and is a co-founder and CSO of Gyes BV and its two spin-out companies.
Susan Kalled, PhD, is an immunologist with over 25 years of experience spanning early discovery research, clinical drug development and strategic partnerships in the areas of autoimmunity & inflammation, rare diseases and immuno-oncology. Previously she was CSO at Dianthus Therapeutics and Compass Therapeutics. As Vice President of Biology at Q32 Bio, Kalled established the founding research team and played a key role in shaping the company’s complement and immunology-focused pipeline. She has also held a number of leadership positions at Biogen and Shire, driving scientific strategy. She currently serves as a scientific strategist and advisor to both early start-ups and established companies.
Esper Boel, PhD, is a molecular biologist with 40 years of experience in international biopharmaceutical R&D. He spent 34 years at Novo Nordisk, most recently, as Corporate Vice President and Head of Biotechnology. During this time, he was responsible for building and heading a 240+ employee international protein-biotechnology organisation and he established the first international biopharmaceutical R&D centre in Beijing, China. Following his time at Novo Nordisk, he has served as member of executive teams, on boards and as senior advisor for a number of high-profile immunology-based companies.
Commit Biologics is advancing development of its BiCE™ technology to redefine the treatment of autoimmune disease and cancer. This novel platform is designed to potently activate the complement system to induce highly selective killing of cells implicated in autoimmune disease or tumour cells. BiCE™ uses single domain antibodies that bind to the complement protein C1q, consequently directing the complement system in a highly targeted way against cells of interest. 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 defence, begins with the engagement of C1q to antibodies that coat the cell surface, thus initiating multiple effector functions that lead to cell killing.
