Bijan Etemad-Gilbertson has over twenty-two years of industry experience working on antibody therapeutics for cancer at both small and large biotech companies. His expertise in manufacturing and translating antibody therapies together with his passion for scientific inquiry, drug discovery, applied therapeutics, and molecular biology drive his motivation to bring cutting-edge treatments to the clinic. In his current position as head of antibody technology at NextPoint Therapeutics, Etemad-Gilbertson leads unique research and development programs that leverage the immune system’s intrinsic capacity to eradicate cancer cells.
NextPoint Therapeutics is centered around a novel checkpoint axis using targeted molecules that reinvigorate the immune system to attack cancer cells. There has been a lot of success recently with PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 antibodies, which are safer and better tolerated than chemotherapy or radiation. These antibodies enter the tumor microenvironment and block immune checkpoints—proteins that normally prevent immune cells from attacking healthy cells and that ...
