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Developing novel therapeutics for unmet medical needs.

Our focus...

We maintain a collaborative work environment where brilliant scientists share our mission to improve the lives of people with rare diseases, delivering on the promise of novel antibody therapeutics.

Focused
We are focused on building the future of molecular medicine in the treatment of rare diseases.
Optimistic
We have great optimism about the future of our company, reflecting the strength of our team and our previous successes.
Collaborative
We embrace collaboration as a fundamental element in effective science.
Understanding
We bring understanding of the patient’s condition and needs, inspiring our search for effective new treatments.
Science-driven
We share the passion of dedicated scientists working together to deliver on the promise of molecular medicine.

Partnering on the promise to help patients thrive.

Having a rare disease is bad enough.

Having no promise of effective treatment is worse.

At Mabwell Therapeutics, we explore, discover, and develop the promise of antibody-based drugs to fight rare diseases at the molecular level. With innovation at our core and patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing a pipeline of meaningful, life-changing therapies for those who need them most.

Mabwell Therapeutics operates as an independent drug discovery group within the Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience family of companies.  We benefit from access to the full capabilities of our parent organization, enabling us to advance biotherapeutic programs from early research through IND and into commercialization. 

Welcoming partners and in-licensing opportunities.

We welcome inquiries from companies and biotech investors who recognize the promise of novel therapeutic biologics in the fight against rare diseases and are interested in helping build the pipeline for effective new drugs in the United States. We also seek in-licensing opportunities for novel therapeutics to initiate clinical testing and registration in China. Contact us to get the conversation started.

New molecular drugs offer promising treatments for devastating rare diseases.

At Mabwell Therapeutics, we help keep the promise.

Innovation Team

Mabwell Therapeutics is led by an experienced team of scientists who share a passion for the promise of molecular medicine. Backed by disciplined research and a panel of expert advisors, we are transforming advanced science into novel therapies for people with rare diseases.

Xin Du, Ph.D.

CEO

Lei Huang, Ph.D.

Director, Antibody Engineering

Buxin Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Biology

Yubin Wang, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Scientific Innovation

headshot of Felix Lu

Hsueh-Chung (Felix) Lu, PhD

Scientist II

Advisory Board

Neil W. Gibson, PhD

Boardmember at Instil Bio, Shattuck Labs, Causeway Therapeutics and Adanate.

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Justin Chapman

Alliance Manager & Chief Scientific Officer, Poseidon Innovation, LLC Chief Executive Officer, AbsoS LLC

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Jeff Southerton, PhD, MBA

Founder, Azenova

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Bernd Schnabl, MD

Professor of Medicine
Director, San Diego Digestive Diseases Research Center
University of California San Diego

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Our Journey

Founding Vision

Our company began with a bold mission: to transform the lives of patients with rare diseases through groundbreaking antibody therapeutics. 

Laying the Foundation

Defined our focus to developing therapies for rare, debilitating diseases. Built in-house antibody discovery capabilities to accelerate targeted drug development. 

First Breakthrough

Identified our first lead molecule from program MWTX-003 targeting TMPRSS6 (Transmembrane serine protease 6), advancing to CMC development and preclinical testing. 

First Regulatory Success

Achieved our first major regulatory success with IND clearance of the anti-TMPRSS6 monoclonal antibody, an important milestone validating our antibody discovery engine. In parallel, multiple lead candidates were advanced across the pipeline.

First Partnership Success

Entered an exclusive global licensing agreement with Disc Medicine for our TMPRSS6-targeting antibody portfolio. 

First Clinical Trial

Dosed first subject in First-in-human Phase I clinical trial for anti-TMPRSS6 antibody. 

Recognition & Expansion

Received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for our TMPRSS6-targeting antibody for the treatment of polycythemia vera, marking a significant step in advancing therapies for rare hematologic diseases. In parallel, we expanded our innovation capabilities by building a proprietary NMJ-targeted delivery platform, specially designed to improve outcomes for individuals with neuromuscular disorders.

The Future

With a robust pipeline and innovative platforms, we continue to push boundaries in rare disease therapeutics - committed to delivering hope where unmet needs persist. 

July 26, 2018
Company established in San Diego.
January 01, 2019
Opened R&D lab at La Jolla Cove Research Center.
February 09, 2021
First lead molecule from program MWTX-003.
November 18, 2022
Achieved first IND approval for anti-TMPRSS6 monoclonal antibody.
January 19, 2023
Global licensing agreement with Disc Medicine.
March 13, 2023
First patient dosed for anti-TMPRSS6 antibody.
February 09, 2024
Received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for TMPRSS6-targeting antibody in polycythemia vera.
The Future
Push boundaries in rare disease therapeutics.
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Xin Du, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Xin Du is a seasoned R&D leader with over 20 years of experience in academia and industry drug discovery. As CEO of Mabwell Therapeutics, she oversees strategic planning, portfolio development, and operations, with a focus on advancing biologics in areas of high unmet medical need. Under her leadership, the company has successfully advanced a first-in-class antibody therapeutic for iron overload disorders to the IND stage and launched multiple programs with first- and best-in-class potential for treating neuromuscular diseases.

Before founding Mabwell Therapeutics, Dr. Du held scientific leadership roles in preclinical development of antibody therapeutics in hemotology and immuno-oncology at several biotechnology companies, including COI Pharmaceuticals, Silarus Therapeutics, and PDI Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she served as a faculty member at Scripps Research and University of California, San Diego. Her academic research contributed to major discoveries in innate immunity, erythropoiesis, and iron homeostasis, and has been published in leading journals such as Science and Nature.

Dr. Du received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Peking University and completed postdoctoral training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

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Lei Huang, PhD

Director, Antibody Engineering

Dr. Lei Huang brings over 20 years of experience in biologics discovery, antibody engineering, and protein science to Mabwell Therapeutics. As Director of Antibody Engineering, he leads the design, development, and optimization of therapeutic antibodies and protein therapeutics that advance Mabwell’s innovation pipeline.

Before joining Mabwell, Dr. Huang held senior scientific roles at Halozyme Therapeutics, where he led antibody variant screening, stable cell line generation, and in vitro/in vivo validation of therapeutic candidates. He also led efforts in critical reagent generation and assay development for clinical programs. Earlier in his career, Dr. Huang held leadership roles at GenWay Biotech, where he directed product development and technology transfer to major partners such as Sigma-Aldrich. He is a co-inventor on multiple patents and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations.

Dr. Huang earned his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tufts University, and a B.S. in Organic Chemistry from Zhejiang University.

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Buxin Chen, PhD

Associate Director, Biology

Dr. Buxin Chen is a versatile biomedical scientist with over 15 years of experience in translational research and early-stage drug discovery. As Associate Director of Biology at Mabwell Therapeutics, she plays a key role in advancing R&D programs from concept through preclinical development, including MWTX-003, which has progressed into early clinical trials. Her responsibilities include mechanistic evaluation of targets, oversight of experimental design and data interpretation, and coordination of cross-functional collaborations.

Prior to joining Mabwell, Dr. Chen contributed to multiple discovery-stage programs at biotech startups including Adrenergics, Calporta Therapeutics, and Iron Horse Therapeutics, working across therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on GPCR signaling and lysosomal modulation. Dr. Chen completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California-San Diego, where she made notable contributions to the understanding of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1, a thrombin GPCR) signaling and trafficking. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Chen received her Ph.D. in Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Life Sciences from Fudan University.

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Yubin Wang, PhD

Associate Director, Scientific Innovation

Dr. Yubin Wang is a multidisciplinary scientist with deep expertise in neuroscience, immunology, and cell biology. As Principal Scientist at Mabwell Therapeutics, he plays a central role in managing and advancing the company’s innovation pipeline, contributing to the discovery and development of antibody-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease, neuromuscular disorders, and other diseases with high unmet medical need.

Prior to joining Mabwell, Dr. Wang served as a Research Assistant Professor at Western University of Health Sciences-Pomona, where his work focused on the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. He led research programs targeting calpain proteases in models of traumatic brain injury, seizure, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. His academic contributions include over 20 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, Journal of Neuroscience, and Science Advances, and he is a co-inventor on multiple patents related to therapeutic antibodies and neuroprotective strategies.

Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Zhejiang University and his B.S. in Biotechnology from Hebei University.

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Hsueh-Chung (Felix) Lu, PhD

Scientist II

Dr. Felix Lu brings more than a decade of biomedical research experience to Mabwell Therapeutics, where he leads in vivo efficacy studies supporting early-stage drug development. His expertise in preclinical pharmacology, animal modeling, and cross-functional collaboration makes him a key contributor to Mabwell’s innovation-driven research.

Dr. Lu began his research career at Texas A&M University, focusing on neuroinflammation, where he uncovered a critical role of STAT3 in immune crosstalk during CNS demyelination. During his postdoctoral work, he led collaborative studies on microglial gene function in neonatal brain development. Before joining Mabwell, Dr. Lu held a scientific role at Sorrento Therapeutics, where he co-led drug efficacy programs across autoimmune models, including Multiple Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. His research portfolio includes oncology and bone disease, with a strong emphasis on translational relevance.

Dr. Lu earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Texas A&M University and holds a B.S. from the University of Washington.

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Neil W. Gibson, PhD

Dr. Neil W. Gibson brings over 30 years of leadership experience in drug development, spanning operational roles in both the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He has been involved in the successful discovery, development, and commercialization of four approved oncology drugs: temozolomide, sorafenib, erlotinib, and crizotinib.

From 2016 to 2021, Dr. Gibson served as Senior Vice President at COI Pharmaceuticals, where he focused on the creation of new biotechnology companies that advance innovative therapeutics into areas of high unmet medical need. In this capacity, he served in executive positions of CEO of PDI Therapeutics and Adanate, and CSO of Silarus Therapeutics. His responsibilities included coordinating all IND-enabling studies and designing early clinical development programs for each company’s lead development candidate.

Dr. Gibson previously served as CSO at Regulus Therapeutics, where he led scientific strategy through the company’s IPO, raising over $80 million, followed by additional financings totaling about $105 million. Before Regulus, he was CSO of Pfizer’s Oncology Research Unit and held senior leadership roles in Pfizer’s Oncology Business Unit and Pharmatherapeutics Organization. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gibson served as CSO at OSI Pharmaceuticals, where he helped scale the company from 100 to more than 500 full-time employees and grew its market cap from $150 million to more than $2 billion. He also served as Director at Bayer Oncology.

Dr. Gibson currently serves on the boards of two public companies—Instil Bio and Shattuck Labs, and two private companies, Causeway Therapeutics and Adanate. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in founding and growing multiple biotechnology ventures and leading significant capital raises, including successful Series A rounds for Cullinan MICA (formerly PDI Therapeutics) and Adanate.

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Justin Chapman

Mr. Justin Chapman is an experienced therapeutic drug discovery and biotech professional with training as a cellular and molecular biologist. He has more than 20 years’ experience in pharmaceutical and biotech research and development and has demonstrated success in large and small molecule drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas and target classes. His career work is focused on enhancing patient lives by enabling drug discovery R&D and building successful teams in all phases of traditional preclinical drug discovery from target validation to drug candidate nomination.

Justin currently serves as CSO and Alliance Manager at Poseidon Innovation, a joint venture between Deerfield Management and the University of California-San Diego. In this role, he leads the scientific evaluation and strategic development of early-stage therapeutic programs. Prior to Deerfield Management, Justin served as Vice President – Head of Research at COI Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for 10 portfolio companies in diverse specializations. Earlier, Justin spent 15 years as Discovery Scientist at Pfizer Global Research and Development.

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Jeff Southerton, PhD, MBA

Dr. Jeff Southerton has over 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, primarily as a business development professional. Combining business acumen with a background in science he has a track record of success in identifying, assessing, negotiating and closing research partnerships and asset licensing deals at all stages of development. 

He currently owns Azenova, a life sciences and biopharmaceutical consulting company he founded in 2021. Previously, he served as a Business Development professional at Pfizer, where he was responsible for identifying and assessing licensing opportunities and developing partnerships with universities, biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies to advance Pfizer’s pipeline of potential new medicines across multiple therapeutic areas. 

Jeff has a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in pharmacology from The University of Manchester, UK and an M.B.A. from The Open University, UK.

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Bernd Schnabl, MD

Dr. Schnabl is a trained gastroenterologist and physician-scientist. He received his M.D. from the University Freiburg in Germany. After finishing his residency in internal medicine, he completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Columbia University in New York. 

Dr. Schnabl joined the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of California-San Diego in 2008 where he is a Professor of Medicine. He is a staff and attending physician at the VA San Diego Medical Center in La Jolla and the UCSD Medical Center. He is the Director of the NIH-funded San Diego Digestive Diseases Research Center (SDDRC). His research focus is to understand the complex multi-directional interactions that occur between the gut microbiota and the liver.

Dr. Schnabl has published extensively in such highly-regarded journals as Nature, Nature Communications, Cell Host & Microbe, Journal of Clinical Investigation and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and he has authored multiple reviews and book chapters. Dr. Schnabl is the principal investigator of a VA Merit Award, and several NIH, foundation and industry-sponsored grants. He serves as Associate Editor for Journal of Hepatology..