Invivyd Names Michael Mina Chief Medical Officer

Invivyd, a biopharmaceutical company centered on protection against viral infectious diseases, is naming Michael Mina, MD, PhD, chief medical officer.

Invivyd’s proprietary integrated technology platform, according to the company, is unique to the industry. It assesses, monitors, develops, and adapts to create best-in-class antibodies.

In recent years, the company’s focus has been SARS-CoV-2. In March 2024, Invivyd received emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for a monoclonal antibody in its pipeline.

Mina A Good Fit for Invivyd

To that end, Mina’s appointment aligns with Invivyd’s focus. He advised the U.S. and international governments on testing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S., he helped change public health goals from diagnosing every potential case to point-in-time identification of contagious individuals. This shift aimed to reduce transmission and hasten the reopening of society.

Mina has also helped lead the U.S.’ Home Test-to-Treat program, improving access in underserved populations for both COVID-19 and influenza.

“Invivyd is at the forefront of advancing infectious disease prevention as the leader in infectious disease monoclonal antibodies,” Mina said.

He added that he sees “unique potential for medical value creation.”

“Invivyd is positioned to potentially advance standard of care,” Mina said. He continued that this concerns both treatment and “prevention of critical viral diseases that require better options.”

More Background on Mina

Beside his work on COVID, Mina earlier in his career “identified and articulated” aspects of basic measles pathology, Invivyd said. This included leading the discovery of “immune amnesia,” a long-term consequence of measles in which immunological antibody-based memory is deleted.

Additionally, Mina has investigated how the body responds to vaccines for influenza, among others. This work was particularly done with children and expectant mothers with downstream passive antibody transfer in mind.

Mina formerly taught for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.