Orikine Bio, a pioneering biotech company developing bispecific cytokines to reprogram the immune system, has announced changes to its management team. Sabrina Kuttruff-Coqui, PhD, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Joachim Koch, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Chief Development Officer (CDO). Andreas Muehler, MD, MBA, joins as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) on a part-time basis, and Pilar Casado García will continue as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The team expands at a key moment as the lead candidate ORK1 progresses from preclinical research to enabling studies for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in inflammatory bowel disease. Chairman of the Board, Larry Edwards, highlighted the importance of the new leadership for the transition to clinical studies and thanked Christian Pangratz for his dedication.
“"The transition to first-in-human studies requires leadership with broad experience in transforming innovative science into clinical programs and building the operational foundations for long-term growth."
The new CEO, Sabrina Kuttruff-Coqui, stated that the company is at a pivotal moment to advance ORK1 towards the clinic and drive the next phase of growth. She emphasized Orikine's differentiated approach to restoring autoreactive immunity.
“"I am impressed by Orikine’s differentiated approach to restoring autoreactive immunity, with the potential to transform the treatment of autoimmune diseases and deliver lasting benefits to patients."
The ORK1 candidate is a biologic drug based on a bifunctional cytokine designed to act as a myeloid cell regulator. In preclinical studies, it has demonstrated the ability to induce lasting reprogramming and significantly reduce ulcerative colitis symptoms in in vivo models.
“"The dual cytokine approach represents a very promising opportunity to change how we treat inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune diseases from their origin."
Sabrina Kuttruff-Coqui brings experience in biopharmaceutical transactions and IPOs. Joachim Koch has over 25 years of life sciences experience and has contributed to defining scientific strategies. Andreas Muehler has over 30 years of leadership experience in biotech and pharmaceutical companies, specializing in autoimmune diseases.
