PDF VersionWorld-renowned MIT scientist and pioneering biomedical engineer brings decades of leadership in drug delivery, biomaterials and biotechnology to Nouveau’s precision oncology platform
[NEW YORK, September 8, 2026] — Nouveau Biosciences, a biotechnology company developing precision-targeted nanomedicines for cancer, today announced the appointment of Robert Langer, Sc.D., David H. Koch (1962) Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to its Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Langer is one of the world’s most recognized scientists, inventors and biomedical engineers. His pioneering research at the intersection of engineering, medicine, drug delivery and biomaterials has helped establish many of the principles underlying modern controlled-release therapeutics, nanoparticle drug delivery, tissue engineering and nucleic-acid based vaccines. His pioneering discoveries helped lead to the development of the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and the recently reported personalized melanoma vaccine. Administration of the personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine plus Keytruda led to the positive results of the INTerpath-001 trial recently reported by Merck and Moderna.
Over several decades at MIT, Dr. Langer and his laboratory have made foundational contributions to polymer science and drug delivery, including the development of approaches for delivering proteins, peptides and nucleic acids that historically presented significant challenges because of their size, instability and biological complexity. This body of work has helped establish scientific foundations for technologies now used broadly across biotechnology and medicine.
Dr. Langer is the most cited engineer in history and has received more than 220 major awards recognizing his contributions to science, engineering, medicine and innovation. His honors include the Charles Stark Draper Prize, often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for Engineering’, and the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. He is the only person to have won both awards individually. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation and is among only three living scientists to have received both.
At Nouveau, Dr. Langer will advise the company on the continued development of its precision nanomedicine platform, including the design and delivery of polymer-based therapeutics and drug combinations for cancer.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Bob to our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Owen A. O’Connor, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nouveau Biosciences. “Bob fundamentally changed the way the scientific community thinks about drug delivery and the role that materials science can play in medicine. His work has demonstrated that how a therapeutic is engineered and delivered can be as consequential as the therapeutic itself. That principle is central to what we are building at Nouveau. Having Bob’s scientific insight and experience available to our team will be invaluable as we advance our platform and pipeline.”
Nouveau’s drug discovery strategy integrates chemistry, genomics, computational biology and artificial intelligence to identify synthetically lethal therapeutic strategies and then applies polymer-based nanosynthesis to engineer differentiated drug candidates. The company’s objective is to create precision medicines targeting the drivers of cancer biology and improving the therapeutic index of these highly precision targeted drugs.
“We are experiencing remarkable advances in the application of nanotechnology and drug-delivery science to medicine,” said Dr. Langer. “These technologies have the potential to influence many areas of healthcare, from drug development and gene medicine to diagnostics and regenerative medicine. I look forward to working with the Nouveau team as they apply these principles to developing new approaches for treating cancer.”
Dr. Langer is the co-founder of 40 companies. He previously served as Chair of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Science Board, the agency’s highest-level scientific advisory board. His research and entrepreneurial activities have contributed to technologies spanning biomaterials, tissue engineering, pharmacology, diagnostics and biotechnology, helping translate advances in engineering and materials science into technologies with applications across human health. “We are confident Dr. Langers breadth of expertise will provide a systematic approach for translating fundamental insights from cancer biology and artificial intelligence into differentiated therapeutic candidates”, notes Charles Karan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Nouveau.
About Robert Langer, Sc.D.
Robert S. Langer, Sc.D., is the David H. Koch (1962) Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His laboratory has pioneered technologies in drug delivery, biomaterials, tissue engineering and biotechnology, including the development of polymer- and lipid-based systems for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents.
Dr. Langer has authored more than 1,500 scientific articles and is the most cited engineer in history. He is an inventor on more than 1,300 issued and pending patents worldwide, and his patents have been licensed or sublicensed to hundreds of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical and medical-device companies. He has co-founded numerous biotechnology companies, including Moderna.
Dr. Langer’s scientific contributions have been recognized with more than 220 major awards, including the U.S. National Medal of Science, U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Charles Stark Draper Prize, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Kyoto Prize, Wolf Prize in Chemistry and Millennium Technology Prize. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.
About Nouveau Biosciences
Nouveau Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing precision-targeted therapeutics for cancer. Its proprietary Nouveau Nexus™ platform integrates advances in cancer biology, genomics, computational biology, artificial intelligence and nanomedicine to identify and engineer therapeutics directed at specific vulnerabilities in cancer.
The company’s drug discovery approach is designed to identify synthetically lethal therapeutic strategies and translate them into novel polymer-based nanomedicines. Nouveau’s polymer nanoparticles are engineered to deliver individual therapeutic agents as well as optimized drug combinations with greater precision, with the goal of improving pharmacologic performance, tolerability and efficacy.
Nouveau is applying its platform to build a pipeline of differentiated, intellectual-property-protected oncology candidates, including a lead program being prepared for clinical development. The company’s broader mission is to develop more precisely targeted cancer therapies capable of improving treatment outcomes while reducing the toxicities associated with conventional systemic therapy.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Nouveau Biosciences’ technology and platform, product candidates, research and development activities, anticipated clinical development, potential therapeutic benefits, intellectual property, future business plans and the potential contributions of members of its Scientific Advisory Board.
Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no assurance that Neveau’s product candidates will demonstrate the anticipated safety, efficacy or therapeutic benefits, successfully complete clinical development or receive regulatory approval.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Nouveau Biosciences undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.