Nuvig Therapeutics Appoints Celia J.F. Lin, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, Strengthening Clinical Leadership Amid Advancement of Novel Immunomodulatory Programs
Nuvig Therapeutics, Inc. (“Nuvig”), a privately held biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation immunomodulatory therapeutics for patients living with inflammatory autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Celia J.F. Lin, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer. The appointment marks a significant expansion of the company’s executive leadership team at a time when Nuvig is rapidly advancing its lead investigational therapy, NVG-2089, through Phase 2 clinical development and simultaneously preparing to broaden its growing therapeutic pipeline.
Dr. Lin joins Nuvig as an accomplished physician-scientist, clinical strategist, and rheumatologist with nearly 15 years of experience overseeing clinical development programs for immunomodulating therapies across autoimmune, inflammatory, and fibrotic diseases. Throughout her career, she has held senior leadership roles in both emerging biotechnology companies and large global pharmaceutical organizations, providing her with a unique perspective on therapeutic innovation, regulatory strategy, and the translational challenges of bringing complex immunology programs from early research through clinical validation and late-stage development.
David J. Woodhouse, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Nuvig Therapeutics, welcomed Dr. Lin to the company’s leadership team, emphasizing both the depth and relevance of her background. “Celia’s deep clinical, development, and regulatory experience in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, along with her background as a practicing rheumatologist, make her an ideal addition to our leadership team,” said Dr. Woodhouse. “She joins Nuvig at an important time, as we execute our Phase 2 clinical studies for NVG-2089 and prepare to expand our development pipeline. Her expertise will be invaluable as we advance our lead program and broaden the reach of our BESTech™ platform across a range of autoimmune indications.”
Nuvig is developing therapeutic candidates designed to modulate immune responses with unprecedented precision. Rather than relying on traditional immunosuppressive approaches—which often blunt immune activity broadly and can expose patients to infection risk, adverse events, or long-term safety concerns—the company is pioneering targeted mechanisms intended to restore immune balance by re-engaging natural anti-inflammatory pathways. Dr. Lin’s experience in developing biologics and next-generation immunotherapies positions her particularly well to guide Nuvig’s pipeline as the company advances its strategy for redefining autoimmune disease treatment.
Reflecting on her decision to join the organization, Dr. Lin emphasized both the scientific appeal of Nuvig’s platform and the unmet needs still faced by patients despite decades of progress in autoimmune disease drug development. “I’ve spent my career developing therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and, as a rheumatologist, I’ve seen how even the best available treatments can leave patients with significant burdens and limitations,” said Dr. Lin.
“What drew me to Nuvig is its precisely engineered approach to rebalancing immune function through engagement of the body’s own regulatory pathways without broad immunosuppression. NVG-2089 is designed to reproduce the key anti-inflammatory mechanisms of IVIg in a consistent, scalable form, and the company’s BESTech platform extends that biology to create multi-functional antibodies that can restore immune homeostasis across a broad range of autoimmune diseases.”
This perspective underscores a critical challenge in the autoimmune therapeutic landscape: most of today’s approved drugs work by suppressing key immune pathways, an approach that can be highly effective for some patients but may also dampen the immune system’s protective functions. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), one of the most widely used treatments for autoimmune diseases, offers a different model by leveraging the body’s natural anti-inflammatory mechanisms. However, IVIg is derived from human plasma, resulting in high manufacturing costs, supply limitations, variability, and logistical challenges. Nuvig’s platform—which seeks to reproduce and enhance IVIg’s beneficial immunomodulatory effects using engineered biologics—has the potential to provide a more predictable, scalable, and safer alternative that could reach a broader patient population.
Dr. Lin’s expertise aligns closely with these scientific and clinical ambitions. Over the course of her career, she has led cross-functional teams through all stages of clinical development, including early-stage clinical translation, biomarker strategy, regulatory interactions, pivotal trial execution, and preparation for commercialization. Her leadership has spanned numerous immunology indications, giving her a keen understanding of disease biology, therapeutic mechanisms, clinical endpoints, and patient needs across autoimmune and inflammatory settings.
Most recently, Dr. Lin served as Chief Medical Officer of Santa Ana Bio, where she shaped the development strategy for a portfolio of preclinical programs in immunology. In this role, she led efforts to define target biology, design translational plans, and prepare programs for advancement into clinical studies. Her responsibilities included establishing clinical development frameworks, building clinical operations capabilities, and contributing to regulatory planning for first-in-human studies.
Prior to her role at Santa Ana Bio, Dr. Lin served as Chief Medical Officer at Vera Therapeutics, where she played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s lead investigational biologic through Phase 2 proof of concept and into Phase 3 clinical development for autoimmune kidney diseases. During her tenure, she oversaw global clinical development, clinical operations, medical affairs, biometrics, and regulatory functions. Her strategic leadership contributed to Vera’s successful evolution from a development-stage organization to a company preparing for late-stage trials in complex autoimmune indications.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Lin held positions of increasing responsibility at Genentech and Amgen, two of the world’s leading biotechnology companies known for pioneering biologics across multiple therapeutic areas. At these organizations, she led and supported global programs across several immunology and inflammation indications, working on assets at various stages—from Phase 1b through commercialization and post-approval lifecycle management. Her work contributed to the generation of clinical evidence, refinement of development strategies, and expansion of therapeutic indications across multiple programs.
Dr. Lin’s career began in academic medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), one of the nation’s foremost centers for biomedical research and clinical care. She remains on the faculty at UCSF and continues to see patients at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, maintaining an active connection to clinical practice. This ongoing patient care experience provides her with a direct and current understanding of unmet needs, therapeutic gaps, and real-world outcomes in autoimmune disease management—experience she brings to her strategic leadership roles in industry.
Her academic training further reflects her longstanding commitment to medicine and immunology. Dr. Lin earned her M.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Boston University and pursued fellowship training at both UCLA and Washington University in St. Louis, institutions known for excellence in rheumatology and immunology research. She is board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
As Nuvig continues to progress NVG-2089 through Phase 2 evaluation, Dr. Lin will oversee clinical strategy, trial execution, regulatory interactions, and the expansion of clinical development capabilities. Her leadership will also help guide the advancement of the company’s BESTech™ platform into additional autoimmune indications, supporting Nuvig’s broader strategy of developing transformative therapies that restore immune homeostasis without the limitations associated with current approaches.
Her appointment represents a significant milestone for Nuvig as the company enters an important phase of growth. Under Dr. Lin’s guidance, Nuvig aims to strengthen its clinical rigor, accelerate therapeutic development, and advance a pipeline with the potential to reshape the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
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