A radical new approach to common disease drug development A radical new approach to common disease drug development
THE CHALLENGE
Now is the time Now is the time
At Vesalius, we believe it’s time to take a fresh approach to treating the diseases that drive 90 percent of human illness. Our goal is to fundamentally reconceptualize the way we view, diagnose, and treat common diseases.
Progress in treating some of society’s most devastating diseases has not advanced as quickly as it could because our industry has not been defining the problem correctly.
Many of the common diseases we aim to treat – such as heart failure, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, NASH, and obesity - have a single diagnosis. However, we now understand that these diseases are not monolithic. They are a constellation of multiple genetically and biologically distinct diseases that affect patients differently.
OUR APPROACH
A new lens on common diseases A new lens on common diseases
Our ContinuumDiscovery™ platform begins and ends with patients. It discerns previously unrecognized clinical patterns in groups of patients, links these patterns to the combined effects of multiple genes comprising gene circuits, and identifies circuit dependencies that are novel and optimal drug targets to reverse the disease in these patient groups. Our platform utilizes proprietary patient-derived, cell-based experimental models to screen and characterize drug candidates to restore these circuits to healthy functioning.
Our approach combines the power of data science with proprietary technological innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, human genetics and genomics, and proprietary human-based experimental models into a uniquely potent discovery engine.
Our Team
At Vesalius Therapeutics, we believe that extraordinary approaches are needed to realize our extraordinary potential. We challenge assumptions and don’t accept the status quo. We are fearless, focused, agile, data-driven and persistent. We are team-focused and continuously learn from each other and our data to make ourselves and our company better.
Our Leadership
Ben Munoz, PhD
A highly regarded scientist and medicinal chemist with extensive drug development experience, Ben has more than 20 years of experience in project management, managing cross-functional drug discovery project teams and strategic planning to his role at Vesalius. Prior to joining Vesalius, he spent eight years in senior leadership roles at Proteostasis Therapeutics, serving most recently as chief scientific officer. Prior, Ben was the director of medicinal chemistry at the Molecular Libraries Probe Productions Center Network (MLPCN) at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research institute affiliated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MLPCN, he was responsible for designing and implementing a phenotypic screening platform to identify active molecules within the Institute’s collection of small molecules. He also oversaw collaborations with Genzyme, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO). Ben began his career at SIBIA Neuroscience Inc., which was later acquired by Merck. Subsequently, he was director of medicinal chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories. In that role, he led key neuroscience programs delivering clinical candidates for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Ben earned his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in chemistry from Brock University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute.
John Mendlein, PhD
Executive Chairman and Interim CEO
John Mendlein, Ph.D., joined Flagship as executive partner in February 2019. A longtime member of Flagship’s broader ecosystem of companies, John is an experienced biotech leader and has served in numerous executive and board roles. At Flagship, John contributes to Flagship’s strategic and operational objectives, including the origination of new Flagship Labs companies and growth companies. He also serves on the boards of Flagship’s companies and works with portfolio company CEOs and their teams to achieve the best attainable value for each organization.
Throughout his multi-decade career in biotech, John has helped start and lead numerous innovative life sciences companies with product platforms. Prior to joining Flagship, John served as president of corporate and product strategy at Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), a Flagship Pioneering company. John was also a member of Moderna’s board of directors from 2012-2018.
He has also held leadership roles at multiple additional biotech platform enterprises. John was chief knowledge officer and general counsel at Aurora Biosciences (acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) where he also served as a board member; CEO of Adnexus Therapeutics, a Flagship company (acquired by BMS); executive chairman, founder, and interim CEO of Fate Therapeutics (a publicly-traded (FATE) immuno-oncology cell therapy platform company); and executive chairman and CEO of Affinium Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Debiopharm Group).
John is co-author or co-inventor of over 210 publications and published patents. He has served on the boards of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as well as Flagship’s companies: Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Axcella Therapeutics and Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT). John currently serves on the boards of Flagship companies Omega Therapeutics (OMEGA), Empress, and Ampersand, and is Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines.
John holds a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and a B.S. in biology from the University of Miami.
Board of Directors
Doug Cole, MD
Managing Partner, Flagship Pioneering
Founder Vesalius
Doug Cole joined Flagship Pioneering in 2001. He focuses on life science.
At Flagship, Doug has co-founded Ensemble Therapeutics, Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Inzen Therapeutics, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Permeon Biologics, Sigilon Therapeutics, (NASDAQ: SGTX), and Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SYRS). He has led investments in Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO), Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Avedro (NASDAQ: AVDR, acquired by Glaukos), CombinatoRx (NASDAQ: ZLCS), Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNCE), Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Editas (NASDAQ: EDIT), Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX), Receptos (NASDAQ: RCPT, acquired by Celgene), Seventh Sense Biosystems, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TTPH), and Torque.
He currently serves on the board of directors of Denali Therapeutics, Cygnal Therapeutics, Foghorn Therapeutics, KSQ Therapeutics, Inzen Therapeutics, Repertoire Immune Medicines, Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), and Sigilon Therapeutics. He formerly served on the board of directors of Avedro, AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: AVEO), CombinatoRx, Concert Pharmaceuticals, CGI, Moderna, Morphotek (acquired by Eisai Pharmaceuticals), Receptos, Resolvyx, Selecta (NASDAQ: SELB), Seventh Sense, Taris (acquired by JNJ), and Tetraphase.
Before joining Flagship, Doug was instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School and assistant in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital; medical director at Cytotherapeutics, in Providence, Rhode Island; and program executive at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Cambridge, Mass.
He holds an A.B. magna cum laude with high distinction in English from Dartmouth College, where he was a senior fellow and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. He obtained post-graduate training in medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass.
Doug is a member of the scientific advisory board and the board of directors of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation.
John Mendlein, PhD
Executive Partner, Flagship Pioneering
John Mendlein, Ph.D., joined Flagship as executive partner in February 2019. A longtime member of Flagship’s broader ecosystem of companies, John is an experienced biotech leader and has served in numerous executive and board roles. At Flagship, John contributes to Flagship’s strategic and operational objectives, including the origination of new Flagship Labs companies and growth companies. He also serves on the boards of Flagship’s companies and works with portfolio company CEOs and their teams to achieve the best attainable value for each organization.
Throughout his multi-decade career in biotech, John has helped start and lead numerous innovative life sciences companies with product platforms. Prior to joining Flagship, John served as president of corporate and product strategy at Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), a Flagship Pioneering company. John was also a member of Moderna’s board of directors from 2012-2018.
He has also held leadership roles at multiple additional biotech platform enterprises. John was chief knowledge officer and general counsel at Aurora Biosciences (acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) where he also served as a board member; CEO of Adnexus Therapeutics, a Flagship company (acquired by BMS); executive chairman, founder, and interim CEO of Fate Therapeutics (a publicly-traded (FATE) immuno-oncology cell therapy platform company); and executive chairman and CEO of Affinium Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Debiopharm Group).
John is co-author or co-inventor of over 210 publications and published patents. He has served on the boards of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as well as Flagship’s companies: Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Axcella Therapeutics and Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT). John currently serves on the boards of Flagship companies Omega Therapeutics (OMEGA), Empress, and Ampersand, and is Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines.
John holds a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and a B.S. in biology from the University of Miami.
Scientific Advisory Board
-
Lee Rubin
Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, and Co-Director, Neuroscience Program, Harvard Stem Cell Institute
-
Paola Arlotta
Chair, Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
-
Percy Carter
Chief Scientific Officer, Blueprint Medicines
-
John A. Todd
Director, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford
-
Wendy Chung
Chief of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital
-
Tanya Fischer
Chief Development Officer and Head of Translational Medicine, Biohaven
-
Justin Ichida
Associate Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California
OPEN ROLES
Join our team Join our team
Founded by Flagship Pioneering, Vesalius is taking a new approach to tackling common illnesses. We are patient-focused at our core. We challenge assumptions and don’t accept the status quo.
While we’re pragmatic in our approach and rigorous in our science, we’re still thinking big. Our goal is both ambitious and straight forward: to advance treatments that address some of the most significant challenges in medicine. We believe we’re well on our way.
We’re assembling a world-class team of company builders, innovators, technologists, scientists, and clinicians.
PRESS ROOM
-
03/07/2024
Vesalius Therapeutics Announces Leadership Transition Vesalius Therapeutics Announces Leadership Transition
Vesalius Therapeutics today announced that John Mendlein, Ph.D., will become the company’s Executive Chairman, and interim Chief Executive Officer.
Read More -
08/01/2022
Meet the 23 biotech startups that are set to take off in the next 12 months, according to top VCs Meet the 23 biotech startups that are set to take off in the next 12 months, according to top VCs
Biotech investors look at hundreds of startups each year, trying to find the best new companies. Here are the privately held, venture-backed businesses they think will take off.
Read More -
03/01/2022
Flagship Pioneering Unveils Vesalius Therapeutics to Revolutionize the Treatment of the Diseases that Drive Ninety Percent of Human Illness Flagship Pioneering Unveils Vesalius Therapeutics to Revolutionize the Treatment of the Diseases that Drive Ninety Percent of Human Illness
Flagship Pioneering today unveiled Vesalius Therapeutics, a company focused on redefining the understanding and treatment of the diseases that drive ninety percent of human illness. Flagship initially committed $75 million to support the development of Vesalius’ platform and initial pipeline of new medicines.
Read More