Decoy Therapeutics Welcomes Dr. Robert Langer To Scientific Advisory Board After Salarius Merger

Decoy Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that Dr. Robert S. Langer, MIT professor and co-founder of Moderna, will join its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) following the planned merger between Decoy and Salarius Pharmaceuticals. The two companies previously disclosed their definitive merger agreement on January 13, 2025, with the resulting entity to retain the Decoy Therapeutics name. The move marks a significant step forward for the preclinical biotech focused on peptide conjugate therapeutics. 

"It’s an honor to have Dr. Langer join our SAB. Having worked in Dr. Langer’s lab and at start-up companies that were founded on innovations arising from his lab, I’ve seen first-hand the impact he brings in discovering transformational therapies and advancing their development. We are confident that Dr. Langer’s tremendous experience and know-how will provide invaluable support as we use our proprietary IMP3ACT platform to advance a portfolio of proprietary peptide-conjugate products,” commented Michael M. Lipp, PhD, Chief Technology Officer of Decoy. 

Dr. Langer is one of the most distinguished scientists in modern biotechnology, known for his innovations in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biomaterials. His work has supported the development of life-changing therapies, including bevacizumab (Avastin®) and Moderna’s Spikevax® mRNA vaccine. He holds MIT’s highest faculty rank as an institute professor and has been instrumental in developing technologies that have influenced hundreds of therapeutic pipelines and companies worldwide.

Dr. Langer stated, “Decoy is utilising an innovative, next-generation peptide-conjugate platform to discover and develop much-needed and differentiated antiviral and cancer therapies. I am excited to collaborate with the Decoy team and to lend my expertise to expedite the development of these potentially high-impact therapeutics.”

With over 1,600 scientific publications and more than 444,000 citations, Dr. Langer is the most-cited biological engineer in history. His 1,400+ patents have been licensed to over 400 companies, and he has co-founded over 40 biotech ventures. A recipient of both the U.S. National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Dr. Langer’s addition to Decoy’s SAB is expected to provide invaluable scientific insight as the company moves forward with its mission to develop next-generation peptide-based therapies.

Shahin Gharakhanian, MD, acting Chief Medical Officer and SAB Chair of Decoy, mentioned, “We are thrilled Dr. Langer has agreed to join our SAB thus expanding our thought leadership. We look forward to synergising his guidance with our current SAB members and incorporating his drug design perspectives, particularly calling upon his expertise in developing dosage forms and routes of administration for Decoy’s peptide-conjugate drugs.”