Our team’s approach to ADCs is grounded in a deep understanding of how each component of the molecule – antibody, linker, and payload – can be optimized to work synergistically and meaningfully improve the benefit–risk profile for patients.
While ADCs have demonstrated substantial clinical value, challenges remain, including off-target toxicity, suboptimal payload delivery, and limitations in patient selection. Our technologies are engineered to address these issues through advanced antibody design, a novel hydrophilic and highly stable linker system (CloakLink™), and an integrated diagnostic platform that helps identify patients most likely to benefit from treatment.
Because the cytotoxins used as ADC payloads are typically highly hydrophobic, many ADCs suffer from poor plasma stability and suboptimal pharmacokinetics – factors that can compromise both safety and efficacy. To address these limitations, Solve developed CloakLink™, a hydrophilic cleavable linker system.
CloakLink™ is engineered to mask the hydrophobic properties of ADC payloads, enabling enhanced plasma stability, improved pharmacokinetics, reduced toxicity, and potent tumor cell killing. The result is a class of ADCs with higher therapeutic indices and improved overall performance.
Beyond increased hydrophilicity, the exceptional stability of our ADCs also stems from key structural features of CloakLink™, including the strategic placement of a peptide-based release trigger. This design confers resistance to off-target cleavage and offers functional advantages over earlier-generation linker technologies.
CloakLink™ is compatible with a wide range of payloads, drug-antibody ratios (DARs), and targeting antibodies.
Explore how Solve’s proprietary CloakLink™ technology enables optimized ADCs incorporating hydrophobic cytotoxic payloads with robust bystander effects.
Indications:
Solid Tumors
Indications:
Solid Tumors
Indications:
Solid Tumors
Solve’s two lead programs are in Phase 1 clinical development:
Dr. Katti Jessen has 25 years of experience in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry with expertise spanning translational sciences and oncology research and development. She has advanced numerous novel oncology therapeutics into the clinic, which encompass various modalities such as small molecules and biologics (antibody-drug conjugates, bispecifics, and monoclonal antibodies). Dr. Jessen is currently serving as Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences at Solve Therapeutics, Inc., where she is responsible for identifying development candidates, conducting IND-enabling studies, and designing and implementing pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and biomarker assay strategies to guide clinical development. Prior to joining Solve, Dr. Jessen led similar efforts as head of translational research at VelosBio and before then at Oncternal Therapeutics. Earlier in her career Dr. Jessen worked on oncology drug development programs at Pfizer, eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Takeda Oncology, Intellikine, SGX Pharmaceuticals, and Maxim Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Jessen holds a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California, Davis and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Davis Cancer Center and the Sanford Burnham Institute.
David Johnson is a seasoned biotech executive with a track record of building and scaling oncology companies through clinical development and successful acquisition. As Chief Executive Officer of VelosBio, he led the company from founding to clinical proof-of-concept for a novel antibody-drug conjugate in under three years, culminating in its $2.75 billion acquisition by Merck. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Acerta Pharma, where he oversaw the development of acalabrutinib and guided the company through a $7 billion acquisition by AstraZeneca.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Johnson held leadership roles at Hoffman-La Roche, Immunex, Millennium, Favrille, Gloucester, and Calistoga, contributing to the development of multiple FDA-approved therapies including Velcade®, Istodax®, Zydelig®, and Calquence®. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Aura Biosciences and is a Board Director at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Dr. Clayton Knox currently serves as President of Solve Therapeutics. He was previously President and Chief Business Officer of VelosBio, where he led the company through its $2.75 billion acquisition by Merck & Co. Prior to VelosBio, he was Chief Operating Officer at MavuPharma, overseeing all aspects of daily operations and guiding the company through its acquisition by AbbVie.
Before joining MavuPharma, Dr. Knox served as Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Development and Strategy at Acerta Pharma (acquired by AstraZeneca for $7 billion). Earlier in his career, he held multiple leadership roles at Merck & Co., most recently as Clinical Head for Business Development and Licensing, responsible for search, evaluation, and transaction leadership for strategic clinical-stage assets. He previously served as Principal Scientist and Director of Clinical Development, leading early clinical development programs and overseeing both solid- and liquid-tumor oncology trials.
Dr. Knox earned his MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he was a Dean’s Scholar and Alpha Omega Alpha Research Fellow, and completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Yakov Kogan brings more than two decades of leadership in biotechnology operations, drug development, and strategic partnerships. At Solve Therapeutics, he oversees the cross-functional operations that support the company’s radiopharmaceutical and radiodiagnostic pipeline and builds and manages collaborations with academic and industry partners worldwide.
Before joining Solve, Dr. Kogan was Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland BioLabs (NASDAQ: CBLI), where he steered multiple immune-modulating biologics from discovery into the clinic and secured both government and private financing. Earlier roles at CBLI included Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development. He has also co-founded, advised, and served on the boards of several early-stage biotechnology companies, guiding each from concept to fully staffed preclinical and clinical R&D organizations. He began his industry career in molecular biology research and technology commercialization roles at Integrated Genomics and ThermoGen.
Dr. Kogan earned a PhD in Molecular Biology from VNII Genetica, an MS in Biology from Moscow State University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Dr. Brian Lannutti brings more than two decades of experience in drug discovery and has held senior executive and leadership positions in multiple oncology-focused biotechnology companies.
Most recently, he was Founder and Senior Vice President, Research and Development at VelosBio, where he oversaw biology, chemistry, and nonclinical development of VLS-101 (zilovertamab vedotin), the company’s first-in-class ROR1-directed antibody-drug conjugate. His prior roles included Chief Scientific Officer at Oncternal Therapuetics; Senior Vice President, Translational Sciences at Acerta Pharmaceuticals; Senior Director, Cancer Biology and Pharmacology at eFFECTOR Therapeutics; Associate Director, Oncology Research at Gilead Sciences; and Director, Oncology Research at Calistoga Pharmaceuticals.
Before joining industry, Dr. Lannutti was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and Assistant Member at The Puget Sound Blood Center. He holds an MS in Chemistry from Northwestern University and a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Vermont.
Dr. Langdon Miller is a physician with over 25 years of experience leading oncology and orphan disease drug development programs. He has helped bring multiple therapies from early-stage trials to market, including Neupogen®, Leukine®, Camptosar®, Aromasin®, Zinecard®, Sutent®, and Zydelig®. His expertise spans all phases of clinical development, regulatory strategy, and global trial execution.
Dr. Miller has held leadership roles at the National Cancer Institute, Pharmacia, PTC Therapeutics, Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, and VelosBio, and has advised numerous biopharma companies on drug development strategy.
He received his MD from Northwestern University, completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota, and completed an oncology fellowship at Stanford University.
Dr. Jeff Schaal is a radiopharmaceutical scientist with 15 years of experience in targeted ligand discovery, radiochemistry, and theragnostic development. At Solve Therapeutics, he leads discovery and development of radiotherapeutics and diagnostic agents, including proprietary linker chemistries and novel payload platforms.
Before Solve, he was the founding scientist and Chief Scientific Officer at Cereius, Inc. (acquired by Solve), where he advanced single-domain antibody radiopharmaceuticals for HER2-positive brain metastases. Earlier, he held roles at MDxHealth and Deloitte.
Dr. Schaal holds a PhD and MS in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He is an inventor on multiple patents and has published in targeted drug delivery, radionuclide therapy, and oncology.
Dr. Mike Sun brings more than 20 years of experience and leadership in the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) of antibody-based therapeutics, including antibody-drug conjugates. Mike has participated in the development and submission of more than 30 ADC INDs and multiple BLAs. At Seagen, he played a key role in the development and commercialization of ADCs, including serving as CMC lead of Adcetris® and Padcev®.
Prior to joining Solve Therapeutics, Dr. Sun served as SVP of CMC for VelosBio, VP of Manufacturing at Silverback Therapeutics, and held various leadership roles during his 17-year tenure at Seagen.
Mike holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Jeff Watkins is a protein engineering expert with over 30 years of experience in biologics discovery and development. He has led the preclinical advancement of more than 15 biotherapeutics into clinical trials and is an inventor on 105 issued U.S. patents.
Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer of aTyr Pharma and as Chief Scientific Officer of Applied Molecular Evolution, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly. His expertise spans protein optimization, platform development, and novel therapeutic design across large pharma and biotech environments.
Dr. Watkins earned his BA in Biochemistry from Northwestern University and PhD in Biochemistry from Purdue University and completed postdoctoral research at both Purdue and The Scripps Research Institute.
Jon Williams brings more than two decades of leadership experience in finance, operations, and
strategic growth within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors, with a career spanning from biotech startups to multinational corporations.
He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Finance at Solve Therapeutics, where he leads
finance, facilities, and information technology, driving long-term financial planning and
delivering transparent, actionable reporting to investors and the Board of Directors.
His prior roles include Senior Vice President at Presage Biosciences, Chief Financial Officer and Financial Advisor at VelosBio, Vice President and General Manager at LabCorp Genomic Services,
Director of Operations at Merck & Co. Genomics Lab, Director of Technical Services at
Spacelabs Medical, and Logistics and Quality Assurance Manager at Siemens and IBM.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Electrical Engineering from Park University.
Mr. Peter Colabuono is a Managing Director at Decheng Capital and has been with the firm since October 2016. He is currently serving as a board member and leading the operations of Ariagen. Mr. Colabuono is also a board director of ConjugateBio, Firefly Biologics and Solve Therapeutics. He previously served on the board of AADi Bioscience (NASDAQ: AADI), Checkmate Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Regeneron) and Velos Biopharma (acquired by Merck).
Mr. Colabuono brings finance, investment, transaction, operational and drug development expertise to Decheng, as well as a passion to find a cure for cancer and bring life-saving drugs to patients. Prior to joining Decheng, Peter held several operational roles, including business and corporate development, sales & marketing and company startups. As an Associate at Frazier Healthcare Ventures, he led the investment and company formation for Silvergate Pharmaceuticals (acquired by CutisPharma), a pediatric rare disease company that to date has launched four internally developed and proprietary products. As Vice President of Business Development & Managed Care and a member of the Operations Committee, Mr. Colabuono played essential role for the success of Silvergate. At Frazier, he was involved in and served as board observer for Calistoga Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Gilead Sciences), VentiRx (acquired by Celgene), Alnara Pharma (acquired by Eli Lilly) and Oceana Therapeutics (acquired by Salix), as well as several of the firm’s public investments. Prior to Frazier, he served in the Morgan Stanley and Cowen Healthcare Investment Banking groups. Mr. Colabuono holds a B.A. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Dartmouth College, is an inventor and author on issued patents and journal articles, and he is active with the Head & Neck Cancer Alliance.
Alan joined Matrix Capital Management as a Managing Director in 2021. Previously he was a Partner at Sofinnova. He focuses on clinical-stage product companies, particularly in oncology, rare diseases and other specialty therapeutic areas. In addition to serving on the InCarda Therapeutics Inc. board, he serves as Executive Chairman of Principia Biopharma and VelosBio, and Board member of Xylocor Therapeutics and Human Longevity, Inc.
Before joining Sofinnova, Alan held executive management and board of director positions at numerous biotechnology companies. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President at Celgene Corporation, and prior to that held positions of President for Celgene’s Europe, Mid-East, and Africa regions as well as Senior Vice President of Global Medical Affairs. Previously, Alan was the Chief Executive Officer at Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, Inc. until its acquisition by Celgene in 2010. Before becoming CEO at Gloucester Pharmaceuticals he was President, Oncology for Geron Corporation and was Chief Medical Office of Threshold Pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, Alan held numerous positions of increasing responsibility at Amgen Inc culminating with his role as VP, Medical Affairs Europe.
Alan received an M.D. from Stanford University and an M.P.H. from Harvard University. He completed specialty training in Hematology-Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Alan has a B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado.
David Johnson is a seasoned biotech executive with a track record of building and scaling oncology companies through clinical development and successful acquisition. As Chief Executive Officer of VelosBio, he led the company from founding to clinical proof-of-concept for a novel antibody-drug conjugate in under three years, culminating in its $2.75 billion acquisition by Merck. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Acerta Pharma, where he oversaw the development of acalabrutinib and guided the company through a $7 billion acquisition by AstraZeneca.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Johnson held leadership roles at Hoffman-La Roche, Immunex, Millennium, Favrille, Gloucester, and Calistoga, contributing to the development of multiple FDA-approved therapies including Velcade®, Istodax®, Zydelig®, and Calquence®. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Aura Biosciences and is a Board Director at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Dan is the head of the investment team at Yosemite, where he oversees the firm’s investments into therapeutics and digital health companies in the oncology space. Prior to helping launch Yosemite, Dan worked at Emerson Collective for 7 years where he led the team’s cancer-related investment efforts. He has held a number of biotech operating roles, including as interim CEO of Tune Therapeutics, a clinical-stage epigenetic editing company. Dan also worked with biotech and private equity clients at Bain & Co, and holds a B.S. in Bioengineering and an M.S. in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University.
Robert Mittendorff, M.D., M.B.A. has served as General Partner and Head of Healthcare at B Capital Group, a global investment firm, since March 2021. He is a physician and former public company operating executive with over 20 years of experience. He has been involved in investments and associated exits with public equity value or acquisition value that exceed a total of $10B. At B Capital, he focuses on investing in category defining companies in healthcare led by exceptional leadership teams.
He currently serves on the boards as a director or observer at Carrick Therapeutics, Hotspot Therapeutics, Nuvig, Evommune, Triumvira, Atomwise, Carlsmed (NASDAQ: CARL), Nalu Medical, CapitalRX, Lively, and Volastra. Previously, while co-head of Healthcare and Partner at Norwest, he served on the boards of Impel Neuropharma, Avalyn Pharma, Qventus, and VisitPay, TigerConnect, Neocis, and was a board observer at Talkspace, Omada, and Route92. He was a board member at Silk Road Medical (SILK), iCardiac (acq. by eResearch), and Telcare (acq. by BioTelemetry). He was a previous board observer at Intersect ENT (Nasdaq: XENT), and iRhythm Technologies (Nasdaq: IRTC). Dr. Mittendorff was involved with the initial investments in Misfit Wearables (acq. by Fossil) and Health Catalyst (HCAT). He also led seed investments in Myome, Excision Biosciences, and Clerio.
Prior to his career in venture capital, Dr. Mittendorff was an executive officer and the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Hansen Medical Inc. (Nasdaq: HNSN, acquired by Auris/JNJ). He launched multiple products including the Magellan & Sensei X robots and led the Company’s partnerships with GE, Siemens, Philips and St. Jude Medical. He created the SAB and pitched in a public financing. Dr. Mittendorff has also worked at Merck, BCG, and at Kaiser Permanente as an emergency physician. Dr. Mittendorff received his M.D. from Harvard University and MIT in the HST Program, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and an M.A. in international relations from Kings College London. As part of his doctoral research at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Mittendorff was also awarded a Howard Hughes Institute Fellowship in neuroscience at MIT, MGH, and Harvard Medical School.
Jason Pitts is a Principal on the Life Sciences team at General Atlantic. Prior to joining General Atlantic in 2021, Jason was a Principal at Sofinnova Investments focused on private, clinical-stage therapeutics opportunities. In additional to Solve, he currently serves on the board of Seaport Therapeutics. Jason was previously a board member at Cincor Pharma (acquired by Astra Zeneca) and Bolt Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ: BOLT). Before becoming an investor, Jason was a consultant in the pharmaceutical and medical products practice at McKinsey & Company. He received his PhD in neuroscience from The Rockefeller University and holds a B.S. in neurobiology from Cornell University.
