NATICK, Mass.– AffyImmune, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing novel, first-in-class CAR T cell therapies, today announced the appointment of Daniel Janse, Ph.D. as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Janse brings twenty years of expertise and an extensive background in biopharmaceutical research and development, operations, and leadership to drive the company forward.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Janse as the new CEO of AffyImmune,” said Simone Song, Founding Partner, ORI Capital and Board Director at AffyImmune. “His extensive experience in the biotech industry and his proven leadership in driving innovation and strategic growth make him the ideal executive to lead AffyImmune into its next phase of growth. We have full confidence in his ability to advance our mission of bringing CAR T cell therapies to patients with solid tumors.”
Dr. Janse joins AffyImmune from Northpond Ventures, where he served as Managing Director. He was a board member at several biotechnology companies, including Garuda Therapeutics, Triumvira Immunologics, Walking Fish Therapeutics, Artisan Bio, Aro Biotherapeutics, EnPlusOne Biosciences, and Isolere Bio. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Business Officer at Arbor Biotechnologies, where he led scientific and general operations, business development, program and alliance management, and corporate development and strategy.
His career also includes leadership positions at Juno Therapeutics, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center, Inventages Venture Capital, and McKinsey & Company. Dr. Janse was a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he trained in the laboratory of Dr. George Church in the Department of Genetics.
“I am honored to join AffyImmune at such a pivotal time in the company’s journey,” said Dr. Daniel Janse, Chief Executive Officer, AffyImmune. “I look forward to working with the team and Board of Directors to continue and expedite the development of AIC100 for patients with advanced thyroid cancers and non-small-cell lung cancer. The unique ability for AffyImmune to target ICAM-1 using an affinity-tuned LFA-1 binder and to track AIC100 after administration to patients are exciting scientific breakthroughs that can transform the sector.”
At the ASCO 2024 meeting, AffyImmune announced a confirmed complete response in a patient from its Phase 1 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of AIC100, an ICAM-1 targeting and affinity-tuned LFA-1 binder CAR T-cell therapy in advanced thyroid cancer. A metabolic complete response (mCR) was achieved in one patient with anaplastic thyroid cancer, the most aggressive form of the disease. AffyImmune is the first to demonstrate the potential of single-dose, single-agent autologous CAR T to induce a complete response in a patient with a solid tumor.
