Dr. Dolsten served as Pfizer's Chief Scientist and President of Research and Development for the past 15 years, leading the development of 35 new drugs and vaccines, including the first COVID-19 vaccine.
He led a team of thousands of scientists and oversaw research across all therapeutic areas. His work contributed to new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, stroke prevention, cancer, and several vaccines.
His expertise in leading drug and vaccine development processes will help Immunai achieve its goals and drive innovation in drug development by integrating artificial intelligence into immunology and oncology.
"The pharmaceutical industry is leveraging artificial intelligence to better understand various diseases and accelerate drug discovery. However, translating data into medical treatments for patients requires deep expertise," said Dr. Noam Solomon, CEO and co-founder of Immunai.
"Mikael Dolsten brings decades of experience in leading high-level drug development. His expertise will help us utilize AI in ways that significantly advance drug development."
Before joining Pfizer in 2009, Dr. Dolsten held senior management positions at Wyeth, Boehringer Ingelheim, and AstraZeneca, where he led global research and development efforts and contributed to discovering new drugs across multiple therapeutic fields. Throughout his career, he has helped select approximately 200 potential drug candidates and advanced around 50 approved treatments.
"Immunai’s AI model for the immune system is transforming how we approach drug discovery and development," said Dr. Dolsten. "Having previously collaborated with Immunai, I have seen firsthand how their AI capabilities enhance the success rates and efficiency of drug development.
By leveraging AI to analyze immune system activity at the single-cell level, we can accelerate the development of innovative treatments and bring them to patients faster. I am excited to continue partnering with Immunai on its journey to revolutionize drug development through a deep understanding of the immune system."
Dr. Dolsten’s appointment follows Immunai’s long-term collaborations with AstraZeneca and Teva, highlighting the growing importance of AI-driven insights in clinical development.
These partnerships utilize Immunai’s unique immune atlas, AMICA, and its proprietary IDE engine to tackle critical challenges in drug development—from determining drug dosage and identifying biomarkers for treatment success to understanding drug mechanisms of action and predicting treatment success rates in patients.
Immunai conducts single-cell genetic analysis and deciphers immune system activity using artificial intelligence to enhance drug discovery and development processes.
The company employs a team of over 170 experts, including approximately 85 PhDs, and collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. Immunai has raised around $270 million to date and operates from New York, Ramat Gan, Zurich, and Prague. The company is expanding and actively recruiting, focusing on data and AI teams.