Our History

About Us

Our Mission

Annate Bitherapeutics was named in honor of Ann Hajduk, whose life was cut short by multiple myeloma. Ann was the beloved wife of one of our founders, and her journey with cancer continues to inspire our mission every day.

Her story is at the heart of Annate. It reminds us that behind every data point and every clinical milestone is a patient and a family waiting for hope. Ann’s courage and resilience drive us to push beyond the boundaries of existing therapies, to build treatments that not only extend life but improve its quality.

At Annate, we carry Ann’s legacy forward by transforming innovation into impact. Our work on ApoL1-based therapeutics is more than a scientific endeavor — it is a promise to honor Ann’s memory and to fight for the countless patients who, like her, face devastating cancers with too few options.

Ann’s legacy fuels our commitment: to bring forward new therapies with urgency, compassion, and unwavering dedication to patients.

  • 1989

    Our Beginnings

    The research behind our technology began in 1989 by SLH and stretched into the early 2000’s, but the additional uses would remain elusive.

  • 2003

    Toxin Potential

    ApoL1 identified as a lytic component within the HDL.

  • 2010

    Therapeutic potential

    First questions proposing ApoL1-containing HDLs as cancer treatments posed.

  • 2013

    Proof of Concept

    The first experiments testing ApoL1 ability to kill mammalian cells are completed.

  • 2014-2020

    Battling Multiple Myeloma

    Ann Hajduk, wife to cofounder Steve, battles multiple myeloma and to honor her fight, helps us focus our attention on turning this trypanocidal toxin into a cancer drug.

  • 2020-2021

    Targeting the therapy

    Building on initial data that ApoL1-HDLs can kill mammalian cells under certain conditions, we developed the bispecific antibody technology to specifically target the HDL towards cancer cells.

  • 2021

    The Start of Annate

    In 2021, we founded Annate Bitherapeutics with the goal of using our knowledge and experience of human innate immunity to develop therapeutics which target and kill human cancers. Always in honor to Ann and the Innate immune system: Annate.

  • 2022

    Targeting Multiple Myeloma

    Annate receives funding from the Georgia Research Alliance to further develop the targeted treatment of multiple myeloma.

Pioneering precise, accessible cancer therapies for a hopeful future.