In this month’s episode of the Chain, guest Peter Tessier, Albert M. Mattocks pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering professor at the University of Michigan, speaks with moderator Tariq Ghayur, scientific advisor and entrepreneur in residence at FairJourney Biologics, about expediting the developability of antibodies. He discusses the characteristics that best predict a molecule’s drug-like properties, the different assays used for various intended outcomes, and why every scientist must assess the “greatest potential impact” before embarking on a new experiment. Tessier also talks about the core traditions that help him lead students in the lab while fostering a learning environment of ownership, integrity, and self-motivation. Last, he shares his predictions on how computational data will advance antibody discovery and developability in the future

GUEST BIO

Peter M. Tessier, Ph.D., Albert M. Mattocks Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering Professor, University of Michigan
Peter Tessier is the Albert M. Mattocks (Endowed) professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering. He is also a member of the Biointerfaces Institute at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Tessier received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware (2003, NASA Graduate Fellow) and performed his postdoctoral studies at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT (2003-2007, American Cancer Society Fellow).

Tessier started his independent career as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007. He was an endowed full professor at Rensselaer before moving to the University of Michigan in 2017. Tessier’s research focuses on designing, optimizing, characterizing, and formulating a class of large therapeutic proteins (antibodies) that hold great potential for detecting and treating human disorders ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. He has received several awards and fellowships in recognition of his pioneering work: Pew Scholar Award in Biomedical Sciences (2010-2014), Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2014-2015), Young Scientist Award from the World Economic Forum (2014), Young Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society (2015) and NSF CAREER Award (2010-2015).

MODERATOR BIO

Tariq Ghayur, Ph.D., Scientific Advisor and Entrepreneur in Residence, FairJourney Biologics and Tariq Ghayur Consulting
Dr. Ghayur retired from AbbVie in July 2021 and worked as an independent consultant. He has 30+ years of experience leading multi-disciplinary and cross-therapeutic area Biologics discovery programs and developing novel Biologics platforms. Several biologics programs resulted in clinical development candidates. For example, Dr. Ghayur led the team that pioneered the discovery and development of the Dual – variable – Domain -Ig (DVD-Ig) and other multi-specific platforms. As a result, three DVD-Ig molecules entered clinical development. Dr. Ghayur also led the team that defined the uptake, intracellular trafficking, and lysosomal degradation of anti-TNF mAbs/DVD-Ig, resulting in the concept of anti-TNF-ADC (next-Gen anti-TNF). As a result, two anti-TNF-ADC molecules entered clinical development. In addition, Dr. Ghayur initiated/supervised several programs (mAbs, bi-specifics & ADC) in various stages of AbbVie’s discovery pipeline. In addition, Dr. Ghayur proposed and helped implement several corporate-wide (Abbott & AbbVie) initiatives to foster cross-functions/cross-TA collaborations to bring forward innovative concepts/programs.