Apellis Appoints Ex-Pfizer CSO Dolsten to Board, Oversaw 36 Approvals
Apellis Pharmaceuticals appointed Mikael Dolsten, ex-Pfizer chief scientific officer for worldwide R&D, to its board effective March 1, leveraging his leadership over approvals of 36 medicines and vaccines. Dolsten’s deep experience in complement R&D supports Apellis’ advancement of its C3-targeting pipeline, including therapies for geographic atrophy and rare kidney diseases.
1. Appointment and Background
Mikael Dolsten joined Apellis’ board of directors on March 1, bringing over 16 years as chief scientific officer and president of worldwide research, development and medical at Pfizer. During his tenure at Pfizer, he presided over regulatory approval of 36 medicines and vaccines, signaling strong leadership credentials for Apellis’ governance.
2. Extensive Industry Leadership
Prior to Pfizer, Dolsten held senior research and leadership roles at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Pharmacia and Upjohn. He currently serves on the boards of Agilent Technologies and Rocket Pharmaceuticals, and advises investment firms including Blackstone, Google Ventures and Bain & Company.
3. Strategic Impact on Complement Pipeline
Dolsten’s expertise in complement science aligns with Apellis’ focus on C3-targeting therapies, which include the first-ever geographic atrophy treatment and the inaugural therapy for C3G and IC-MPGN. His strategic insight is expected to accelerate development of Apellis’ pipeline across multiple serious diseases.