News & Press

March 7, 2025

Piton Therapeutics is proud to sponsor and participate in the MIT Microbiome Symposium, hosted by the MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics and the MIT Microbiome Club. The event, held on Friday, March 7, 2025, at MIT Building E14, brings together leading researchers, industry professionals, and students to explore the latest advancements in microbiome science and its therapeutic applications.

The symposium will feature keynote presentations from Dr. Jocelyne DiRuggiero (Johns Hopkins University) and Dr. Christoph Thaiss (Stanford University), as well as flash talks, a panel discussion, and a dedicated industry session where Piton Therapeutics will be present.

Piton Therapeutics: Pioneering a New Approach to Microbiome-Inspired Drug Discovery

At Piton Therapeutics, we are advancing small molecule therapeutics that originate from microbiome science but follow the precision and rigor of traditional pharmaceutical development. Unlike conventional microbiome-based approaches—such as probiotics or engineered bacteria—our single-molecule, single-mechanism therapeutics target specific disease pathways with well-defined mechanisms of action. By focusing on druggable targets, we are transforming microbiome-derived insights into high-impact, clinically relevant therapies.

Join Us at the Symposium!

Piton Therapeutics will have an industry table during the lunch session from 12:15 - 1:00 PM, where attendees can meet our team and learn more about our innovative drug development approach.

We are also actively looking for talented and motivated scientists at different levels and have open positions for lab internships. If you’re passionate about microbiome-inspired drug discovery and want to be part of a dynamic, translational research environment, be sure to stop by and introduce yourself!

Event Highlights:

Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Jocelyne DiRuggiero (Johns Hopkins University) – 10:00 - 11:00 AM

• Dr. Christoph Thaiss (Stanford University) – 3:00 - 4:00 PM

• Industry Table Session: 12:15 - 1:00 PM (Meet the Piton Therapeutics team!)

• Poster Session: 1:00 - 2:30 PM

• Networking Happy Hour: 4:10 - 5:00 PM

For those unable to attend in person, the symposium will also be available virtually via Zoom.

We look forward to engaging with the microbiome research community and discussing how Piton Therapeutics is bridging the gap between microbiome insights and precision medicine. See you at MIT!

January 8, 2025

Piton Therapeutics, an AI-powered leader in precision therapeutics targeting the gut-brain axis, is proud to announce significant milestones in its journey to revolutionize the treatment of chronic diseases with unmet clinical needs.

Welcoming Dr. Baiteng Zhao, Ph.D., to the Board of Directors

Piton Therapeutics is honored to welcome Dr. Baiteng Zhao, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. A visionary leader in biotechnology, Dr. Zhao co-founded ProfoundBio in 2018 and served as its Chairman and CEO, guiding the company to its $1.8 billion acquisition by Genmab earlier this year.

Dr. Zhao’s extensive career includes leadership roles at Seagen, where he was instrumental in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and Merck, where he specialized in clinical pharmacokinetics. A graduate of Peking University with a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Zhao also completed postdoctoral research at SUNY Buffalo.

Dr. Zhao’s strategic insight and proven track record in guiding biotech companies to success make him an invaluable addition to Piton’s leadership. His belief in Piton’s mission and potential underscores the company’s ambition to become a leader in precision therapeutics and achieve transformative growth.

Welcoming Dr. Michael Hadjisavas, Ph.D., as Board Member and Strategic Advisor

Piton is equally delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Hadjisavas, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors and as a Strategic Advisor. With over 20 years of experience in the Life Sciences, Applied Markets, and Diagnostics industries, Dr. Hadjisavas has been a driving force behind innovations in genomics, translational research, bioinformatics, and molecular diagnostics.

Currently serving as Vice President of Assay Technologies and Head of Life Sciences Portfolio Strategy at QIAGEN, Inc., Dr. Hadjisavas has held executive roles at Abcam PLC, Gen-Probe/Hologic, Life Technologies/Thermo Fisher, and Sigma-Aldrich. His commercial and operational expertise spans systems, consumables, and software portfolios for research, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic segments.

“Both Dr. Zhao and Dr. Hadjisavas bring exceptional leadership, industry expertise, and strategic vision to Piton’s Board,” said Peter LaCrosse, Chief Operating Officer of Piton Therapeutics. “Their contributions will be pivotal as we advance our pipeline of precision therapeutics and work to address significant unmet clinical needs.”

About Piton Therapeutics

Piton Therapeutics develops first-in-class, precision therapeutics targeting pathogenic mechanisms in the gut microbiome to treat diseases such as Ulcerative Colitis, Type 2 Diabetes, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Parkinson’s Disease. Unlike traditional microbiome companies, Piton focuses on targeted small- and large-molecule drugs with defined mechanisms of action, guided by its proprietary AI-based Drug Discovery System.

Piton’s unique platform leverages advanced analytics and machine learning to identify disease-causing mechanisms within the gut microbiome, enabling the discovery of novel therapeutics that minimize adverse effects while maximizing efficacy.

A Global Leader in Precision Therapeutics

With a steadfast commitment to innovation and addressing unmet clinical needs, Piton is poised to transform the landscape of precision medicine by harnessing the gut microbiome’s role in disease.