Ymmunobio appoints new Chief Operating Officer

Ymmunobio, a preclinical stage biotech company specializing in the development of innovative treatments for cancer patients, announced today that it has appointed Martin E. Zuzulo as its new Chief Operating Officer. Zuzulo steps in for Interim COO Peter Schiemann, PhD, who remains as Chairman of the Board for Ymmunobio.

“Marty’s substantial industry, consulting, and business development experience is a great asset for our team,” said Ymmunobio Founder and CEO Katrin Rupalla. “We’re delighted that he has joined the executive team and will be helping to advance our strategy for our novel and first-in-class antibody research.”

“I’m very impressed with the foundational research that Ymmunobio has undertaken to support  its plans for drug development and delivery,” said Zuzulo. “Ymmunobio’s assets are positioned to provide powerful therapies in the fight against cancer, and I’m honored to be a part of this esteemed group.” 

Zuzulo’s career has been focused on helping biopharmaceutical and medical device companies improve their R&D capabilities, focusing on their quality, clinical, and regulatory environments, as well as their GxP operations. He previously served in manufacturing and process development roles at Biogen and in executive positions across both industry-specific (Parexel) and life sciences practices at several leading management consulting organizations (IBM, PwC, Accenture). 

Zuzulo earned his B.S. and B.A. in Biological Sciences (Biochemical Engineering Minor) and Psychology from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY. 

Ymmunobio recently was granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for YB-200, a CEACAM1/5 antibody it is studying for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). “This designation is an important milestone in our development of CEACAM antibodies as anti-cancer treatments,” said Dr. Rupalla. The company has also begun developing the lead, fully humanized and first-in-class NPTXR antibody, YB-800, which has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in vivo and in vitro for solid tumors, including several gastro-intestinal and breast cancers.