Orbis Medicines Appoints Industry Veteran Mikael Dolsten as Board Chair
Orbis Medicines, a pioneering leader in oral macrocycle drug discovery, has announced the appointment of Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. Dr. Dolsten, the former Chief Scientific Officer and President of Pfizer Research & Development, brings decades of experience in drug discovery, development, and commercialization. His leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing Orbis Medicines’ mission to provide innovative oral alternatives to biologics, which hold the potential to revolutionize treatments for chronic diseases.
With over 15 years at Pfizer, Dr. Dolsten was instrumental in the development and approval of more than 35 therapies and vaccines, as well as the progression of over 100 drug candidates into clinical trials. His contributions have significantly shaped the landscape of modern medicine, with a focus on developing groundbreaking treatments for autoimmune diseases, oncology, and infectious diseases. Under his leadership, Pfizer spearheaded the rapid development and approval of critical therapies, including the COVID-19 vaccine, marking one of the most significant achievements in pharmaceutical history.
“Mikael has a long and successful track record overseeing the development of blockbuster therapies and vaccines from discovery through approval. He shares Orbis’ vision of embracing macrocycle-based medicines to unlock new treatment options for patients,” said Morten Graugaard, Chief Executive Officer of Orbis Medicines. “His guidance will be invaluable as we work toward providing novel, high-value oral alternatives to existing biologics. These innovative medicines have immense potential to address the needs of patients with chronic diseases while also streamlining healthcare delivery.”
Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. Dolsten held key leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pharmacia, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where he played an integral role in shaping R&D strategies and leading drug discovery programs. He has also served on multiple public boards across the U.S. and Europe, providing strategic direction in business development, research, and commercial expansion. His expertise in mergers and acquisitions, having been involved in 10 major deals throughout his career, has contributed to the growth and success of several pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Dolsten expressed his enthusiasm about joining Orbis Medicines, highlighting the company’s innovative approach to drug discovery. “By creating oral alternatives to biologics, such as antibodies and peptides, and designing oral drugs for hard-to-drug intracellular targets, Orbis Medicines is poised to significantly expand access to treatments for patients suffering from chronic and debilitating diseases. This represents the next frontier in drug discovery,” said Dr. Dolsten. “The Orbis Medicines team, led by Morten, is achieving remarkable progress in the field of oral macrocycle medicines. The company is well-positioned to become a major disruptor in the biologics market, and I believe it has the potential to emerge as the leading biotech company in oral macrocycles and biologics.”
Orbis Medicines specializes in the systematic discovery and development of orally available macrocycles, a novel class of therapeutics designed to target proteins that are traditionally addressed by biologics. The company’s proprietary platform develops nCycles, a unique class of macrocyclic compounds with enhanced oral bioavailability and membrane permeability. These features enable nCycles to engage validated protein targets effectively, offering an innovative approach to treating a wide range of diseases.
Dr. Dolsten’s contributions to the pharmaceutical industry have been vast and transformative. Among his many achievements, he played a crucial role in the development of targeted anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer, significantly advancing precision medicine in oncology. Additionally, his leadership in autoimmune disease research led to the introduction of a new class of oral medications that provide enhanced treatment options for patients. His experience in accelerating drug development timelines will be particularly valuable as Orbis Medicines advances its portfolio of macrocycle-based therapies.
Orbis Medicines’ approach to drug development aligns with the increasing demand for oral therapies that can replace injectable biologics. Traditional biologics, including monoclonal antibodies and peptide-based treatments, often require frequent injections or infusions, presenting challenges in patient adherence and accessibility. By pioneering oral macrocycle drugs, Orbis aims to provide convenient, effective, and widely accessible treatment options for patients while reducing the burden on healthcare systems.
The appointment of Dr. Dolsten comes at a crucial time for Orbis Medicines as the company continues to expand its research and development efforts. With his extensive experience and strategic insights, Orbis is well-positioned to accelerate its pipeline of next-generation oral therapeutics and advance them toward clinical trials. His leadership is expected to enhance the company’s ability to forge key partnerships, attract investment, and navigate regulatory pathways for approval.
Orbis Medicines’ pioneering work in the field of oral macrocycles has already generated significant interest from both the scientific and investment communities. With Dr. Dolsten at the helm of its Board of Directors, the company is poised to further strengthen its position as a leader in oral biologics and macrocycle drug discovery. As the pharmaceutical industry shifts toward more patient-friendly treatment options, Orbis’ innovations have the potential to redefine how chronic diseases are managed.
Looking ahead, Orbis Medicines aims to expand its portfolio by leveraging its proprietary drug discovery platform to develop additional oral therapeutics targeting a broader range of diseases. By harnessing the power of macrocycle chemistry, the company seeks to address unmet medical needs in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and other therapeutic areas where biologics have traditionally dominated.
As Orbis Medicines continues to push the boundaries of pharmaceutical innovation, Dr. Dolsten’s leadership will be instrumental in guiding the company through its next phase of growth. His appointment marks a significant milestone in Orbis’ journey to bring novel, high-impact therapies to patients worldwide, solidifying its reputation as a trailblazer in oral macrocycle drug development.
About Orbis Medicines
Orbis Medicines is pioneering a new era for oral macrocycle drug discovery. Its nGen platform systematically delivers macrocycle candidates, termed nCycles. These are optimized for oral bioavailability, which has historically hindered therapeutic development of this versatile class of molecules. Orbis’ pipeline is initially focused on nCycle candidates against targets validated by blockbuster biologic drugs delivered by injection. Proof-of-concept of Orbis’ work has been published in Nature Communications and Nature Chemical Biology. The company has raised €116 million in venture funding to date, including a €90 million series A round led by NEA with new investors Lilly Ventures, Cormorant, EIFO and existing investors Forbion and Novo Holdings. Orbis is located in Copenhagen, Denmark and Lausanne, Switzerland. For more information, please visit: www.orbismedicines.com
About nGen
nGen is Orbis Medicines’ technology platform for generating nCycles, a new class of fully synthetic macrocycle compounds optimized for oral bioavailability and membrane permeability. It consists of multiple proprietary integrated elements in a “lab in a loop” system starting with hit finding libraries of 100 billion compounds. The highly automated chemistry-based nGen platform can synthesize and analyze up to 100,000 distinct synthetic macrocycles in weeks, allowing the company to discover candidates with the right properties to enable oral dosing and intracellular targeting. The scale and quality of the data produced from these real compounds, paired with machine learning, creates an industry-leading platform that de-risks and accelerates development.
