- Dr. Dolsten was most recently CSO of Pfizer and has served in leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pharmacia, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
- Appointment follows the transition of Morten Graugaard from Chairperson to CEO earlier this year
Orbis Medicines, a leader in oral macrocycle drug discovery, today announces the appointment of Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., former Chief Scientific Officer, President, Pfizer Research & Development, as Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
In more than 15 years at Pfizer, Dr. Dolsten oversaw the development and approval of more than 35 therapies and vaccines, and moved more than 100 drug candidates into clinical development.
“Mikael has a long and successful track record overseeing the development of blockbuster therapies and vaccines from discovery through approval, and shares Orbis’ vision of embracing macrocycle-based medicines to unlock new treatment options for patients,” said Orbis Chief Executive Officer Morten Graugaard. “Mikael’s guidance will be pivotal as we advance our mission to provide novel, high-value oral alternatives to existing biologics, which have tremendous potential to address the needs of patients with chronic diseases and to streamline the healthcare system.”
Prior to his tenure at Pfizer, Dr. Dolsten served in leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pharmacia, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Dolsten has served on several public boards in the US and Europe and has vast experience in business development, including 10 different mergers and acquisitions.
“By creating oral alternatives to biologics such as antibodies and peptides and designing oral drugs for hard-to-drug intracellular targets, the work Orbis Medicines is doing will dramatically expand access to treatment for patients suffering from many chronic and devastating diseases, which is truly the next frontier in drug discovery,” said Dr. Dolsten. “What the Orbis Medicines team led by Morten are achieving in the field of oral macrocycle medicines positions the company to be a disruptor of the biologics market. I believe Orbis Medicines has the potential to become the leading oral macrocycles and oral biologics biotech company.”
Dr. Dolsten’s accomplishments include the introduction of a new class of oral medications for autoimmune diseases, the development and approval of targeted anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer and Pfizer’s rapid R&D response to the COVID-19 pandemic (see “Note to Editors” below for more information).
Orbis Medicines is pioneering the systematic discovery and development of targeted, orally available macrocycles for diseases and targets traditionally treated with biologics. Orbis develops compounds known as nCycles, which can address a wide range of validated protein targets with unique oral bioavailability and membrane permeability features.
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs!
