Ladder Bio, Inc., a structure-guided biotechnology company developing Spiroligomers™, a new class of chemical matter as medicines, today announced the appointments of Jay Fine, PhD, and John Prufeta to its Board of Directors. The two appointments add deep drug development experience and defense-sector expertise as Ladder Bio advances its proprietary Spiroligomer™ platform across immunology, oncology, and biosecurity applications.
Dr. Fine currently serves as President, Research & Development at EvolveImmune Therapeutics. He possesses over 30 years of strategic leadership in drug discovery and development, covering immunology, immune-oncology, inflammatory diseases, and respiratory disorders. Prior to joining EvolveImmune, Dr. Fine served as Senior Vice President and Global Therapeutic Area Head, and as US Research Site Head, at Boehringer Ingelheim. His teams played a seminal role in the discovery and development of Skyrizi™, Spevigo™ and Jascayd™ and delivered over 30 molecules into clinical development. Previously, Jay held leadership positions at Roche and Schering-Plough and at the National Cancer Institute. His expertise in drug discovery and development will undoubtedly be valuable in whichever areas the Company will pursue now and in the future.
Mr. Prufeta is the Founder & General Partner of Medical Excellence Capital (MEC), the biotechnology venture capital firm that led Ladder Bio’s Series Seed financing. MEC invests at the convergence of biotechnology, computation, and national security, with a focus on breakthrough platforms capable of advancing both human health and U.S. bioeconomic resilience. Mr. Prufeta also serves on the Board of Directors of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), the nonpartisan organization through which senior business and national security leaders apply private-sector expertise to critical U.S. defense and homeland security priorities. To date, Ladder Bio has secured more than $16.9 million in non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), supporting the continued development of the company’s platform for biodefense, pandemic preparedness, and broader biosecurity applications.
“We are grateful to welcome Jay and John to the Ladder Bio Board,” said Eric Heil, Chairman and CEO of Ladder Bio. “Few drug developers can point to a multi-billion-dollar medicine they helped bring to patients, and few investors can point to deeper relationships across the defense, biotechnology, and biosecurity ecosystem. Jay’s experience taking novel therapies from discovery through approval is directly relevant to the development path Ladder Bio is pursuing across our pipeline of novel Spiroligomer therapeutics for validated immunology targets. John’s leadership through MEC and BENS continues to deepen the platform’s access to the non-dilutive defense funding that has been foundational to Ladder Bio’s progress to date.”
“Ladder Bio is taking an exciting, highly unique approach by pairing a rationally designed, structurally privileged molecule class with an AI-guided, structure-based design engine that closes the loop between target structure and synthesizable medicines,” said Dr. Fine. “There are substantial opportunities to apply this differentiated platform to validated immunology targets and beyond. I am pleased to join the Board and to help the team translate this pioneering science into medicines for patients.”
“Ladder Bio represents the type of platform innovation that can simultaneously reshape therapeutic development and strengthen national biosecurity preparedness,” said Mr. Prufeta. “The company’s combination of novel chemistry, AI-enabled drug design, and dual-use potential creates a uniquely compelling strategic opportunity. I am pleased to formalize my role on the Board and to continue working alongside my MEC partner Eric and the team as the platform advances and as its relationships across the biotechnology, defense, and biosecurity ecosystem continue to expand.”
These appointments reflect Ladder Bio’s continued momentum as it advances its Spiroligomer platform and CanDo AI design engine toward in vivo proof-of-concept of its lead program, establishment of key partnerships with additional immunology and oncology programs, and an active DTRA program supporting the platform’s biosecurity capabilities.
About Ladder Bio
Ladder Bio (formerly ThirdLaw Molecular) is a therapeutics company developing Spiroligomer™ ladder-shaped peptide-like molecules—sequence-defined, structurally preorganized molecules designed to be orally available, cell permeable, and engage challenging biological targets with high affinity and selectivity. Ladder Bio’s platform integrates rational design with modern discovery to create new treatment options for patients where conventional modalities fall short. Ladder Bio is headquartered in Blue Bell, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Learn more: ladderbio.com
*Forward-looking statements: This release contains forward-looking statements regarding Ladder Bio’s pipeline, platform, and development plans. Actual results may differ materially. Ladder Bio undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.*
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