Running Through Walls Data-Driven Science and Leadership
Jan 8, 2026
Dominik Schumacher, CEO and co-founder of Tubulis GmbH and inventor of a phosphorus-based ADC chemistry, discusses targeted cancer therapies. He explains how their linker chemistry improves safety and delivery. He talks about choosing indications like ovarian and lung cancer, working with big pharma, leading a distributed team, and moving from lab science to company leadership.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Pizza Night That Launched Tubulis
- Dominik and Jonas realized during a late-day conjugation experiment that their chemistry worked seamlessly and decided on the spot to start a company.
- They celebrated with pizza the same evening and both said simultaneously, we have to do it, capturing the impulsive founding moment.
ADCs Succeed Or Fail On Antibody Performance
- ADCs aim to deliver chemo directly to tumors via antibodies, but success depends on antibody targeting and biophysical properties.
- Tubulis focuses on enabling antibodies to reach tumors reliably and maintain wide therapeutic windows for long-term dosing.
Phosphorus Chemistry Expands ADC Therapeutic Window
- Tubulis' differentiation is chemical: they use phosphonamidate phosphorus chemistry to attach payloads and protect antibodies.
- That phosphorus acts like a protecting group preventing premature payload release and reducing systemic toxicity.