Pioneering Physician-Scientist Dr. Francis S. Collins Joins ImmunoBrain Board of Directors

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoBrain, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, to its board of directors.

Dr. Collins, a pioneering physician-scientist, served as the 16th director of the National Institutes of Health under three United States presidents. In this role, he guided the nation's biomedical research, from basic science to clinical trials, as well as a historic series of research partnerships that included addressing Alzheimer's disease, cancer, precision health, neuroscience, and COVID-19. In addition, Dr. Collins led an active research group at the University of Michigan and the NIH for 41 years, doing groundbreaking research on type 2 diabetes and discovering the gene misspellings that cause cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, progeria, and several other disorders. A former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Dr. Collins coordinated an international consortium of laboratories as part of the Human Genome Project to produce the first complete sequence of the human DNA instruction book in 2003. He has been recognized for his many contributions to science, medicine, and society with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Templeton Prize.

Reflecting on his career as a researcher, Dr. Collins shared that addressing Alzheimer's disease remains a top personal priority and one of the greatest medical challenges and opportunities of our time.

"This is a condition that has been a source of great suffering for individuals and their families. Alzheimer's disease needs attention, new ideas, and progress," said Dr. Collins. "Much of the effort over the last 30 years has been focused on amyloid and tau, and that approach has made progress—but other insights are needed to develop truly effective therapeutics. Rigorous analysis of genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease has revealed a number of signals pointing to the immune system. This seems to be a clue to something fundamental about the condition that might lead to insights about treatment. When I heard about the work that Professor Michal Schwartz has been doing for over two decades—looking at the role of the immune system and inflammation, and coming up with some very intriguing treatment interventions based upon careful, peer-reviewed experiments done in mice—this seemed like it might be one of the answers we've been looking for. By joining the board of ImmunoBrain, I hope I can help us get those answers."

Dr. Collins joins the board as the company is conducting a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease, with encouraging interim study data. Its lead drug candidate, IBC-Ab002, is a proprietary antibody, tailored to AD and other forms of dementia, that targets an inhibitory immune checkpoint pathway.

"I have always admired Dr. Collins for his bold pursuit of scientific advancement and the path he paved for numerous medical breakthroughs in service of humanity." said Avraham Kadar, MD, chairman of the board. "It is a privilege to welcome Dr. Collins to the ImmunoBrain board as we explore new therapeutic approaches to neurodegenerative diseases, and as we near Phase 2 of our clinical trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease. His boundless curiosity, wisdom, and commitment to rigorous research will make Dr. Collins an indispensable partner in this critical work."  

About ImmunoBrain

Founded in 2015, ImmunoBrain builds on over 25 years of research led by Scientific Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Michal Schwartz, PhD. Together with her team at the Weizmann Institute of Science, she discovered—contrary to the prevailing dogma at the time—that the brain is tightly dependent on support from the immune system for its maintenance and repair. Her research further revealed that age-related decline of immune function plays a key role in brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. These discoveries led to the development of IBC-Ab002, a proprietary Fc-modified anti-PD-L1 antibody, designed and optimized by ImmunoBrain for the treatment of neurological diseases, based on the understanding of its mechanism of action in preclinical studies. The company is currently evaluating IBC-Ab002 in a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease [NCT05551741], supported in part by grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer's Association. Topline data from the completed study is expected in Q1 2026.

Disclaimer: Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging, Award Number R01AG071810. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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