# Ho-Juhn Song

> Ho-Juhn Song is the co-founder and CEO of PineTree Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech building next-generation targeted protein degraders to overcome drug resistance in cancer. A geneticist by training with a Ph.D. from Oregon State University and a former project team leader at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Song founded PineTree in 2019 around the AbReptor platform, which degrades membrane-bound and extracellular proteins that conventional drugs struggle to reach. Under his leadership the company licensed its lead EGFR degrader to AstraZeneca in a deal worth more than $500 million in potential milestones and closed an oversubscribed $47 million Series B in October 2025.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at PineTree Therapeutics Inc
- **Organizations:** PineTree Therapeutics Inc, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
- **Nationality:** South Korean / United States (Boston-based)
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Genetics and Neurobiology, Oregon State University, M.S. in Genetics, Chungnam National University, South Korea, B.Sc. in Biology, Chungnam National University, South Korea, Post-doctoral fellowship, Novartis AG
- **Known for:** Founded and leads PineTree Therapeutics, developer of the AbReptor targeted protein degradation platform, Secured a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for the company's lead EGFR degrader worth over $500 million in potential milestones, Closed an oversubscribed $47 million Series B in October 2025, bringing total funding to roughly $111 million

## Career timeline

- **2004** — Joined the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research as a project team leader in Functional Genomics and Developmental Molecular Pathway groups
- **2008** — Continued advancing novel target discovery and clinical candidates across oncology, immune disorders, and neurodegeneration at Novartis
- **2019** — Co-founded PineTree Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a preclinical-stage targeted protein degradation company
- **2024** — Licensed PineTree's lead EGFR degrader program to AstraZeneca in a deal valued at over $500 million in potential milestones and royalties
- **2025** — Closed an oversubscribed $47 million Series B financing to advance lead oncology programs toward Phase I

## Achievements

- Founded and leads PineTree Therapeutics, developer of the AbReptor targeted protein degradation platform
- Secured a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for the company's lead EGFR degrader worth over $500 million in potential milestones
- Closed an oversubscribed $47 million Series B in October 2025, bringing total funding to roughly $111 million
- Generated multiple clinical candidates across oncology, immune disorders, and neurodegeneration during his tenure at Novartis
- Built a platform designed to degrade membrane-bound and extracellular proteins, including receptor tyrosine kinases resistant to standard-of-care therapy

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — PineTree Therapeutics closed an oversubscribed $47 million Series B to push its lead preclinical oncology programs toward Phase I and expand the AbReptor platform.
- **2024-07** — PineTree licensed its lead EGFR degrader to AstraZeneca in a deal worth more than $500 million in potential milestones and royalties.

## Links

- Website: https://www.pinetreetx.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ho-juhn-song-6b282910

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ho-juhn-song
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-17