CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metaphore Biotechnologies (“Metaphore”), a Flagship Pioneering company creating new antibody-based medicines, today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB brings expertise across protein engineering, AI/ML, immunology, metabolism, and biologics development as Metaphore advances its integrated experimental and computational antibody design platform and initial pipeline of therapeutics to the clinic.
Antibodies are one of medicine’s most important drug classes, but most have historically acted through one dominant action: blocking biology. Metaphore is expanding what antibodies can do. Powered by an integrated platform combining a proprietary experimental functional data engine with a mechanism-aware computational engine, Metaphore is designing antibodies with unique mechanisms to activate, tune and engage biology in entirely new ways.
“We are entering an important stage for Metaphore, as our platform begins to translate into therapeutic programs that show what functional antibody design can make possible,” said Anabella Villalobos, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Metaphore. “This Scientific Advisory Board brings together leaders who understand how to turn breakthrough science into medicines, and their guidance will be invaluable as we continue advancing our platform, pipeline, and long-term vision for antibody-based medicines.”
The members of Metaphore’s Scientific Advisory Board include:
- Anthony Manning, Ph.D., SAB Chairperson and former Chief Scientific Officer of Momenta Pharmaceuticals, brings deep expertise in immunology, biologics, and autoimmune disease, having contributed to the approval of three drugs for autoimmune indications and helped lead Momenta through its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson.
- Morris Birnbaum, M.D., Ph.D., former Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Internal Medicine at Pfizer, brings extensive experience in metabolic disease, GPCR biology, and drug discovery and development across MASH, diabetes, obesity, heart failure, cachexia, and neurodegenerative disease.
- Enoch Huang, Ph.D., former Vice President of Machine Learning and Computational Sciences at Pfizer, brings expertise in AI/ML strategy, computational biology, protein modeling and structure prediction, machine learning using classical techniques and deep neural networks, and biologics property optimization.
- Ben Lehner, Ph.D., Head of Generative Genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, brings expertise in deep mutational scanning, sequence-to-function relationships, predictive and quantitative modeling, and the mechanisms that shape protein function and genetic variation.
- Peter Tessier, Ph.D., Albert M. Mattocks Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, brings expertise in protein engineering, specificity prediction and engineering, library design and selection, multi-specifics, developability modeling, and sequence-to-structure mapping.
Metaphore’s pipeline is designed to demonstrate the breadth of functional antibody design across mechanisms, targets, and diseases, including GPCR agonism, biased signaling, multi-target engagement, multi-functional activity, and selective antagonism. The company is applying its platform across high-value disease areas with an initial focus on metabolic disease and immunology.
“Designing antibodies for function requires a different scientific foundation,” said Dr. Manning. “Metaphore is taking a unique approach in the field by starting with biology in living systems, building AI/ML models that learn from functional data, and using those insights to design antibodies with unique mechanisms of action. This SAB brings together the right breadth of expertise to help support Metaphore as the company advances its platform, pipeline, and vision for a new generation of antibody-based medicines.”
About Metaphore Biotechnologies
Metaphore Biotechnologies is creating the next era of antibody medicines. The company’s platform integrates a proprietary experimental functional data engine with a mechanism-aware computational engine to design antibodies with new mechanisms to activate, tune, and engage biology in entirely new ways. Metaphore’s pipeline is focused on high-value disease areas, including metabolic disease and immunology, where treatment requires complex approaches that go beyond blocking biology. The company was founded in 2021 in Flagship Labs, a unit of Flagship Pioneering. For more information, visit www.metaphorebio.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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