Robert Hollingsworth Takes the Helm as Chief Scientific Officer at Protillion Biosciences

Protillion Biosciences Welcomes Robert Hollingsworth as Chief Scientific Officer

Protillion Biosciences is excited to announce that Dr. Robert Hollingsworth has been appointed as the Chief Scientific Officer of the company. Dr. Hollingsworth joins Protillion with over thirty years of rich experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. His proven track record of advancing innovative therapies from initial discovery through clinical development uniquely positions him to enhance Protillion's advanced antibody discovery platform and its burgeoning product pipeline.

Dr. Hollingsworth's extensive background in drug development includes leading multiple projects through Investigational New Drug (IND) submissions and into the clinic, as well as overseeing several New Drug Applications (NDAs). His experience encompasses therapeutic modalities and strategies that are pioneering in nature, showcasing a unique ability to navigate the complex landscapes of preclinical and clinical development. As Protillion seeks to scale its innovative hardware-enabled platform, which generates proprietary megascale AI training datasets, his expertise will prove to be invaluable.

Curtis Layton, the CEO of Protillion Biosciences, expressed his excitement about Dr. Hollingsworth's appointment. He stated, "What makes Bob so exceptional is his rare ability to see the direct line between the differentiated capabilities of a novel platform and superior clinical outcomes. He brings decades of experience translating breakthrough biology into medicines, yet he remains at the forefront of R&D innovation. Bob's track record of building world-class organizations makes him the perfect leader to help Protillion redefine how biologics are discovered and developed. We are thrilled to have him on board."

In response to his new role, Dr. Hollingsworth shared, "Protillion has built an exceptionally powerful megascale data + AI platform for antibody discovery. They are generating quantitative datasets at a scale the field has never had access to before. The ability to systematically measure and engineer protein interactions at this magnitude has the potential to fundamentally change how we design biologic medicines. I'm excited to join the team and help translate this remarkable technology into transformative therapies for patients."

Sean Kendall, a Partner at ARCH Venture Partners and a member of Protillion's Board of Directors, highlighted the importance of Dr. Hollingsworth's scientific leadership by stating, "Bob is exactly the kind of scientific leader you want at this stage — someone who has repeatedly translated platform innovation into real clinical assets. Protillion is building a fundamentally new approach to antibody discovery, and Bob's experience will be critical in turning that technological advantage into a robust and differentiated pipeline."

Malek Faham, PhD, Chief Scientist and Partner at Illumina Ventures, also expressed confidence in Dr. Hollingsworth's capabilities. He said, "Protillion sits at the intersection of high throughput biology and AI in a way that is incredibly compelling. Bob brings the judgment, depth, and execution capability needed to fully realize the potential of this platform and deliver meaningful impact for patients."

Before joining Protillion, Dr. Hollingsworth served as Chief Scientific Officer at Shoreline Therapeutics, where he was instrumental in expanding the R&D organization significantly and securing vital financing to advance the company's pipeline. His previous roles also include Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics at Pfizer, as well as leadership positions at Pharmacia Upjohn, GlaxoSmithKline, and MedImmune. Dr. Hollingsworth earned his PhD from the University of Colorado and was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the American Cancer Society at the University of Texas Institute of Biotechnology.

About Protillion Biosciences

Protillion Biosciences is a pioneering biotechnology company that is transforming the discovery and development of the next generation of therapeutic antibodies. Based in Carlsbad, California, and supported by investors ARCH Venture Partners and Illumina Ventures, Protillion leverages its proprietary Prot-MaP™ on-chip antibody discovery platform, developed by CEO Curtis Layton and co-founder Professor Will Greenleaf at Stanford University. This platform uniquely allows for rapid generation of vast quantitative antibody binding datasets through fully automated processes, enhancing the speed and precision of novel biologic engineering. This innovation lays a solid foundation for testing AI-designed variants and machine learning-driven optimizations, steering the future landscape of biologic therapies.