Byondis Taps New CEO to Drive ADC Partnerships and Growth

NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands – April 09, 2026 – Dutch biopharmaceutical company Byondis B.V. has appointed Christoph Korpus, PhD, MBA, as its new Chief Executive Officer, a move signaling a strategic pivot towards accelerating partnerships and growth for its advanced cancer therapies. The appointment is effective immediately.

Korpus, who has served as the company’s Chief Business Officer since January 2025, succeeds Byondis founder Jacques Lemmens, PhD. Dr. Lemmens, who established the company's biopharmaceutical activities in 2007, will transition to the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors, ensuring his continued strategic guidance.

This leadership change marks a significant evolution for the privately held company, which specializes in the development of highly targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). By installing a CEO with deep experience in global business development, Byondis is positioning itself to capitalize on its proprietary technology and navigate the increasingly competitive and lucrative ADC landscape.

A Strategic Pivot Towards Partnerships

The selection of Christoph Korpus is a clear indicator of Byondis's future direction. With over 15 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, his career is distinguished by a strong focus on oncology R&D and, critically, global business development and licensing. Before joining Byondis, Korpus was the Director of Global Business Development and Licensing for Oncology at Merck KGaA, where he was instrumental in leading negotiation teams and forging key strategic transactions in the oncology space.

His expertise is precisely what a company like Byondis needs as it looks to move its promising pipeline from the lab to the market. In his previous role as CBO, Korpus was already a key architect of the company's evolving strategy. As Jacques Lemmens noted, "Since joining as CBO last year, Christoph has been instrumental in driving Byondis’ strategic transformation into a focused, fully-integrated biotech company with multiple proprietary ADC technology platforms and a wealth of clinical and manufacturing expertise."

Lemmens added that Korpus's experience makes him "ideally suited to guide Byondis through its next phase of growth." This phase will heavily involve leveraging the company's fully integrated capabilities—from discovery and development to in-house GMP manufacturing—to attract co-development partners and licensing opportunities. Korpus's primary mandate will be to execute this vision, fostering collaborations that can unlock the full value of Byondis's extensive ADC expertise.

Advancing a New Generation of Cancer-Fighting ADCs

At the heart of Byondis's strategy is its sophisticated and diverse portfolio of ADC technologies. ADCs are a class of targeted drugs designed to act like guided missiles, delivering potent cancer-killing agents directly to tumor cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. The field is rapidly advancing, and Byondis has developed several proprietary platforms to address the limitations of earlier-generation ADCs.

Key platforms include:
* ByonGuard™: A masking technology for conditional activation, designed to ensure the ADC's payload is only released in the tumor microenvironment, potentially improving safety.
* ByonBoost™: An immune-stimulatory linker-drug platform intended to not only kill cancer cells but also activate an immune response against the tumor.
* Proprietary Payloads: The company is also developing novel payloads, such as its cytotoxic antifolate platform, designed to overcome resistance to existing therapies.

These technologies have spawned a pipeline of clinical and preclinical candidates. The company's most advanced asset is [vic-]trastuzumab duocarmazine (SYD985), an ADC targeting HER2-expressing cancers. While it faced a setback with a Complete Response Letter from the FDA in 2023, its journey through late-stage clinical evaluation has provided the company with invaluable experience.

Other notable pipeline assets highlight the company's broad approach. BYON3521, a c-MET targeting ADC currently in Phase I trials, has shown preclinical potential to kill not only targeted cancer cells but also neighboring tumor cells through a "bystander effect." In the immuno-oncology space, BYON4228 is a novel monoclonal antibody targeting the CD47-SIRPα axis, a pathway tumors use to evade the immune system. It is being evaluated in Phase I trials for both blood cancers and solid tumors.

In a statement, Korpus emphasized this focus on innovation. "My focus now is executing our strategic vision... and working with our talented team to deliver innovative ADC therapies that can overcome the critical limitations of current and next-generation therapies to make a meaningful difference for cancer patients," he said.

Navigating a Competitive and Booming ADC Market

Korpus takes the helm at a pivotal moment for the ADC market. Valued at over $10 billion in 2023, the market is projected to explode, with some forecasts predicting it will exceed $60 billion by 2030. This potential has fueled intense competition and massive investment, exemplified by Pfizer's $43 billion acquisition of ADC pioneer Seagen in 2023.

Byondis must now carve out its niche among giants like Daiichi Sankyo, Roche, and AstraZeneca. The company's strategy appears to be one of technological differentiation and strategic agility. By remaining independent and fully integrated, it can control its development and manufacturing processes, but it also recognizes the need for partnerships to compete on a global scale. The appointment of a seasoned dealmaker like Korpus is a direct response to this market reality.

The challenges in the ADC field—including linker stability, drug resistance, and manufacturing complexity—are also opportunities for companies with novel solutions. Byondis's focus on platforms like ByonGuard™ and ByonBoost™ is aimed squarely at solving these problems, which could make its technology highly attractive to larger pharmaceutical partners seeking to enhance their own oncology pipelines.

Founder's Legacy Meets New Leadership

The transition from a founder-led company to one guided by a new CEO is a classic sign of a maturing biotech. Dr. Lemmens's shift to Chairman of the Board is not a departure but a strategic realignment. He leaves the day-to-day operations in new hands while continuing to provide oversight and the wisdom gained over 35 years in the industry. This model allows Byondis to retain its foundational vision while embracing the commercial and strategic expertise needed for its next chapter.

Korpus inherits a robust foundation. Under Lemmens's leadership, Byondis built its state-of-the-art R&D and GMP manufacturing facilities in Nijmegen and cultivated a team of over 200 employees. This integrated structure is a significant competitive advantage, offering flexibility and control over its assets.

As the new CEO, Korpus acknowledged this legacy, stating, "Under Jacques’ leadership, Byondis has built strong capabilities across ADC discovery and development and GMP manufacturing. I am committed to leveraging these strengths as we continue to maximize the potential of our platforms and advance our differentiated programs." With this new leadership structure, Byondis is clearly signaling its ambition to translate its scientific innovation into tangible therapies for cancer patients worldwide.