Marengo Therapeutics has significantly bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of two pharmaceutical industry veterans, signaling the clinical-stage biotechnology company's commitment to advancing its novel precision immunotherapy platform. The Cambridge-based company announced in July 2025 that Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., former Chief Scientific Officer at Pfizer, will join as an independent Board member, while Josep Tabernero, M.D., Ph.D., a world-renowned oncology expert, will serve on the Scientific Advisory Board.
Strategic Leadership Additions
Dr. Dolsten brings extensive pharmaceutical R&D experience from his 16-year tenure at Pfizer, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Worldwide Research, Development, and Medical. During his leadership, he oversaw the approval of more than 36 drugs, including breakthrough oncology therapies. His portfolio management experience spans small molecules, biologics, gene therapies, and vaccines, including leading Pfizer's scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am excited to join Marengo's Board at this pivotal inflection point in its clinical investigation and deployment of its powerful platform technologies," said Dr. Dolsten. "The company's unique approach to precision T cell activation has the potential to deliver first-in-class and best-in-class immunotherapies for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers."
Dr. Tabernero, Head of the Medical Oncology Department and Director of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, is globally recognized for his contributions to cancer research, particularly in gastrointestinal cancers and early-phase oncology drug development. He served as President of the European Society for Medical Oncology from 2018-2019 and has authored approximately 600 peer-reviewed papers with an H-Index of 115.
Clinical Progress with Invikafusp Alfa
The leadership appointments coincide with encouraging clinical signals from Marengo's lead candidate, invikafusp alfa (STAR0602), in ongoing Phase I/II trials. The drug has demonstrated a 63% disease control rate in heavily pretreated patients with TMB-high gastrointestinal cancers who were resistant to PD-1 inhibitors. Additionally, the therapy showed a 25% objective response rate in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.
"The clinical signals observed in the ongoing Phase I/II study with invikafusp alfa as a single agent in colorectal cancer, gastroesophageal junction tumors, NSCLC, and other indications are highly encouraging," Dr. Tabernero commented. "I look forward to working with the Marengo team to guide further development of this promising selective T cell agonist platform."
The drug has also received FDA Fast Track Designation for TMB-high colorectal cancer, reflecting the regulatory agency's recognition of its potential to address an unmet medical need.
STAR Platform Technology
Marengo's proprietary STAR (Selective T Cell Activation Repertoire) platform represents a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy. The platform utilizes multi-specific antibody-fusion molecules that target germline-encoded variable Vβ regions of the T cell receptor, combined with T cell co-stimulatory signals. This mechanism promotes the expansion of clonally diverse, effector memory Vβ T cells, enhancing anti-tumor immunity.
Invikafusp alfa specifically targets Vβ6 and Vβ10 T cell subsets found across multiple cancer types, demonstrating activity in 18 different solid tumor types in preclinical studies. Clinical data shows the therapy can achieve a 600% expansion of CD8+ Vβ6/Vβ10 T cells at the recommended Phase 2 dose.
Market Position and Future Outlook
According to industry analysis, Marengo's platform addresses a significant unmet need in the immunotherapy market, particularly for patients who develop resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. The tumor-agnostic approach of the STAR platform potentially broadens its commercial applicability compared to more targeted therapies.
CEO Zhen Su emphasized the strategic timing of these appointments: "Mikael's decades of leadership in advancing innovative medicines will be invaluable as we strategically grow our pipeline, and Josep's deep expertise in clinical trial and GI cancers comes at a pivotal time as we advance invikafusp alfa and expand our clinical programs."
The company is advancing multiple clinical programs beyond invikafusp alfa, leveraging its three proprietary platforms: STAR, Trispecific T Cell Engager (Tri-STAR), and T cell Depletor (MSTAR). These platforms are designed to selectively target specific T cell subsets for applications in both oncology and autoimmune diseases.
