Bambusa Therapeutics Appoints Howard Liang to Board, Establishes Scientific Advisory Board to Guide Bispecific Antibody Pipeline
Key Insights
Bambusa Therapeutics (search) appointed Howard Liang, Ph.D., former BeiGene (search) CFO and Tessera Therapeutics (search) President, to its Board of Directors to support corporate strategy and growth.
The company formed a Scientific Advisory Board featuring former Merck KGaA CEO Stefan Oschmann, dermatology expert Eric Simpson, and respiratory medicine leader Ian Pavord.
Bambusa's pipeline includes two first-in-class bispecific antibodies in Phase 1b/2a trials: BBT001 for atopic dermatitis (search) and chronic spontaneous urticaria (search), and BBT002 for COPD and CRSwNP.
Bambusa Therapeutics (search), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on next-generation bispecific antibodies for immunology and inflammation (I&I), announced two strategic organizational moves on July 15, 2026: the appointment of Howard Liang, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors and the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprising globally recognized leaders in biopharma, dermatology, and respiratory medicine.
Shanshan Xu, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bambusa Therapeutics (search), stated, "Howard brings exceptional expertise across biotechnology financing, corporate strategy, and operational leadership, and his deep experience guiding high-growth companies through pivotal milestones will be invaluable as Bambusa matures."
Howard Liang's Leadership Track Record
Dr. Liang brings more than three decades of experience spanning biotechnology management, financing, strategy, and research. He most recently served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Tessera Therapeutics (search), a genetic medicine company, for more than four years, where he was instrumental in guiding the company from the platform stage to clinical development.
Prior to Tessera, Dr. Liang spent six years as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at BeiGene (search) (now BeOne Medicines), where he helped drive the company's transformation from a research organization with fewer than 200 employees to a fully integrated global biotechnology company with more than 6,000 employees across five continents. During his tenure, he led BeiGene's three IPOs on NASDAQ and the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai, raising a total of more than $11 billion through equity and other financings.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Liang spent 15 years as a Wall Street analyst, including serving as Managing Director and Head of Biotechnology Equity Research at Leerink Partners. He began his career in drug discovery research at Abbott Laboratories (now AbbVie). Dr. Liang holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University.
"I am excited to join Bambusa's Board of Directors and support the company as it advances its differentiated pipeline and long-term vision," said Dr. Liang. "Bambusa has built a compelling foundation with strong scientific capabilities, a clear strategic focus, and the potential to address significant unmet patient needs."
Scientific Advisory Board Brings Deep Therapeutic Expertise
The newly formed SAB includes three founding members with complementary expertise across the company's core therapeutic areas. Stefan Oschmann, DVM, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, brings decades of global biopharmaceutical leadership and corporate strategy experience.
Eric Simpson, M.D., M.C.R., Professor of Dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University, is an internationally recognized expert on atopic dermatitis (search) and chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Ian Pavord, D.M., FRCP, FMedSci, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Oxford, is a leading expert in type 2 airway inflammation whose work has helped shape the development of biologic therapies for severe asthma and COPD.
"The caliber of these advisors reflects the ambition of our science," said Thang Ho, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer of Bambusa Therapeutics (search). "Across immunology, dermatology, and respiratory disease, their counsel will challenge our thinking, sharpen our strategy, and accelerate our bispecific medicines toward the patients who need them most."
Pipeline Overview: Bispecific Antibodies in Clinical Development
Bambusa's bispecific antibody platform combines advanced protein engineering with half-life extension technology and high-concentration subcutaneous delivery, aiming to improve durability, convenience, and clinical differentiation in chronic I&I diseases.
The company's lead candidate, BBT001, is a first-in-class, half-life-extended bispecific antibody targeting interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα (search)) and interleukin-31 (IL-31 (search)) with best-in-disease potential. It is currently in Phase 1b/2a proof-of-concept development for atopic dermatitis (search) (AD) and chronic spontaneous urticaria (search) (CSU).
BBT002, a first-in-class, half-life-extended bispecific antibody targeting IL-4Rα (search) and interleukin-5 (IL-5 (search)), is described as having platform-in-a-molecule potential. It is in Phase 1b/2a proof-of-concept development for Type 2 inflammatory disorders, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (search) (COPD) and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (search) (CRSwNP).
Two additional preclinical programs round out the pipeline: BBT003, focused on gastroenterology, and BBT004, targeting autoantibody-driven autoimmune diseases.