Hung-Kai Chen

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Elixiron Immunotherapeutics Inc.

With over 25 years of experience in translational medicine and drug development, Dr. Chen has been dedicated to the pursuit of innovative precision medicine to address unmet medical needs. Under his leadership, Elixiron Immunotherapeutics has advanced two potentially first-in-class immunotherapies for Alzheimer’s disease and vitiligo into clinical development. Dr. Chen is a two-time winner of the Alzheimer’s Association Part-the-Cloud Award (2020 & 2022) and a recipient of the 2020 National Innovation Award.

Professional Experience:

    •    Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Elixiron Immunotherapeutics, Taipei

    •    Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer, Eusol Biotech, Taipei

    •    Director of Translational Medicine, Development Center for Biotechnology, Taipei

    •    Principal Scientist, Neuroimmunology Discovery Performance Unit, GSK Shanghai

    •    Assistant Investigator, Translational Research Center, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco

    •    Assistant Professor, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei

Publications:

Dr. Chen has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in top journals such as Cell, Nature Medicine, and Nature Communications. Selected publications include:

    •    Chang, Y.-W. et al. Cell Rep. Med. (2023) “A CSF-1R-blocking antibody/IL-10 fusion protein increases antitumor immunity by effectuating tumor-resident CD8+ T cells.”

    •    Shih, H.-P. et al., J. Exp. Med. (2022) “Pathogenic autoantibodies to IFN-γ act through the impedance of receptor assembly and Fc-mediated response.”

    •    Lee, C.-C. et al., Nature Commun. (2018) “Macrophage-secreted interleukin-35 regulates cancer cell plasticity to facilitate metastatic colonization.”

    •    Lin, C.-H. et al., Nature Medicine (2016) “Identification of a major epitope by anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies in patients with mycobacterial disease.” 

    •    Chen, H.-K. et al., J. Biol. Chem. (2011) “Apolipoprotein E4 domain interaction mediates detrimental effects on mitochondria and is a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease.”

    •    Chen, H.-K. et al., Cell (2003) “Interaction of Akt-phosphorylated ataxin-1 with 14-3-3 mediates neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.”

Education:

    •    M.D. and Ph.D., National Yang-Ming University

    •    Postdoctoral training, Baylor College of Medicine & Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas


 

Speech title & Synopsis

Startup of the Year

Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing precision immunotherapies for Alzheimer’s disease and vitiligo. Leveraging decades of immunology expertise and drug discovery experience, Elixiron has advanced two potentially first-in-class immunotherapies into clinical development. The company is a two-time winner of Alzheimer’s Association Part the Cloud awards and has secured out-licensing agreements valued up to US$ 500 million.

Elixiron's therapeutic pipeline targets precisely the key drivers of immune-mediated diseases, offering significant advantages over current treatments. Through cutting-edge translational research, the company has identified disease biomarkers to differentiate patient subgroups – ensuring the right patient gets the right medicine at the right time.

Enrupatinib (Phase II): A potential disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease aimed at dampening neuroinflammation by targeting CSF-1R on brain microglia. Enrupatinib, a brain-penetrant CSF-1R kinase inhibitor, reduces disease-associated microglia to protect neuronal functions. A proof-of-concept clinical study will begin in Q3 2024, with topline data expected in 2H 2025. This project is partially funded by Part the Cloud grants from the Alzheimer's Association.
Indemakitug (Phase I): An IFN-γ-neutralizing antibody for vitiligo treatment, aiming to stop immune attacks on skin melanocytes. Vitiligo has significant unmet needs with no approved systemic treatments. Indemakitug, targeting disease-causing IFN-γ, is in a Phase I safety study. A proof-of-concept study in vitiligo patients will start in 2H 2024.

Elixiron is led by experienced founders and an industry-veteran team committed to innovation-driven growth. Founder and CEO Hung-Kai Kevin Chen has over 25 years of experience in drug development and translational medicine across big pharma (GSK), small biotech (EUSOL Biotech), and research institutes (Gladstone Institute & Development Center for Biotech). Co-Founder Cheng-Lung Ku is a renowned immunologist and Distinguished Professor at Chang Gung University.