WOBURN, Mass.– Orogen Therapeutics has appointed two prominent industry leaders, Dr. Mikael Dolsten and Dieter Weinand, to its Board of Directors as Independent Non-Executive Directors. Dolsten, former Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D at Pfizer, will also serve as Chairman of the Board. The additions signal Orogen’s growing ambition in the drug discovery space, particularly in advancing small-molecule alternatives to biologics through its AI-enabled DNA-encoded library (DEL) platform.
The new directors join a board that includes co-founding investors Marijn Dekkers, former CEO of Bayer AG and current Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences, and Phil Austin, Managing Partner at Anterra Capital. Orogen CEO Dr. Mark Pykett also sits on the board.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mikael and Dieter to the board,” said Dekkers. “Their deep expertise, leadership, and global perspective will be instrumental as Orogen continues to pioneer small-molecule drug discovery across a wide range of disease targets and indications.”
Dr. Dolsten, whose career spans more than three decades and includes oversight of over 150 clinical-stage drug candidates and more than 36 FDA-approved medicines and vaccines, said Orogen is well positioned at the intersection of AI, advanced chemical libraries, and drug discovery. “I’m excited to support Orogen in developing novel therapies for patients with unmet medical needs,” he said.
Weinand, former CEO and Chairman of Bayer Pharmaceuticals AG, brings over 30 years of commercial and operational leadership across the global pharmaceutical industry. “Orogen stands out for its unique approach to drug discovery and its clear focus on advancing candidates toward approval and commercialization,” he said.
Orogen’s platform leverages DEL and artificial intelligence to target high-value therapeutic areas, beginning with immuno-inflammation (INI). The company has already identified multiple promising candidates in early-stage development against cytokine targets relevant to diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and IBD.
“These appointments come at a pivotal time for Orogen,” said CEO Mark Pykett. “Mikael and Dieter bring unmatched insight into drug development and commercialization, and we’re excited to work with them as we advance our AI-driven discovery engine and expand into new therapeutic areas.”
Orogen remains focused on developing oral small-molecule therapies as safer, more accessible alternatives to injectable biologics in complex immune-mediated diseases. The company’s lead candidates are currently progressing through lead optimization with anticipated selections in the near term.
