In 2021, Belgian Jean-Pierre Latere Dwan’Isa, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, founded EsoBiotec, a visionary company that is reinventing in vivo cell therapy to make cancer treatments both more accessible and more powerful. This revolutionary innovation has now caught the attention of AstraZeneca, which is ready to acquire the company for a sum of up to $1 billion, as announced on March 17. This marks a decisive turning point for Jean-Pierre Latere, who dared to push the boundaries of medicine to rewrite the future of cancer treatment.
Jean-Pierre Latere laid the groundwork for a revolution by founding EsoBiotec in the focused silence of his laboratory in Mont-Saint-Guibert (Belgium), driven by unwavering determination and a vision resolutely aimed at the future. A pioneer in in vivo cell therapy, the company’s mission is to make these innovative treatments more accessible, effective, and affordable. By directly modifying immune cells inside the patient’s body, EsoBiotec bypasses the obstacles of traditional cell therapies and opens new horizons for the treatment of cancer and immune-mediated diseases.
EsoBiotec’s Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform, by strengthening the immune system to attack cancers, paves the way for a therapeutic revolution. It could allow a greater number of patients to access innovative cell therapy treatments, administered in minutes, whereas traditional methods require several weeks.
A $1 billion transaction
Today, Jean-Pierre Latere’s scientific and innovative dream is transforming into billions. AstraZeneca, the biopharmaceutical giant, is preparing to acquire all the shares of EsoBiotec for a sum that could reach $1 billion, debt and cash-free. This transaction will include an initial payment of $425 million at closing, as well as conditional payments of up to $575 million, depending on development progress and regulatory approvals.
The deal is expected to close by the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Ultimately, EsoBiotec will become a fully owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca while retaining its operations in Belgium. Jean-Pierre Latere will remain at the helm of EsoBiotec as CEO, with a clear mission: to continue research and bring this revolutionary therapy to patients.
Jean-Pierre Latere, PhD, CEO of EsoBiotec, stated: “We look forward to collaborating with AstraZeneca, a global leader in drug development, to achieve our shared goal: making revolutionary and affordable cell therapies accessible to a greater number of patients worldwide. By combining our expertise and resources, we can accelerate the development of our in vivo platform, which is based on an innovative delivery technology with vast therapeutic potential.”
An exceptional journey
Born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Pierre Latere grew up in Kinshasa, where he attended the prestigious Collège Boboto, an elite school that nurtures the country’s brightest talents. From a young age, his scientific curiosity and passion for innovation set him apart. He continued his studies at the University of Liège, earning a PhD in polymer chemistry, laying the foundation for an extraordinary scientific career.
After a post-doctorate at the University of Michigan, Jean-Pierre Latere began his career at Johnson & Johnson, specifically with its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutica (in Belgium and the United States), first in drug development and later in medical devices. “They called me back to Belgium where I worked as a lab researcher in Beerse. I discovered the pharmaceutical industry, and it was an excellent experience because Johnson & Johnson is a great company with outstanding researchers,” he said in an interview with Investsud.be. Janssen later called him back to the United States, where he continued his research work. “With the arrival of our first child, we returned to Belgium to be closer to our family. Leaving Johnson & Johnson was very difficult because research in the U.S. is always more aggressive, faster, and has more resources.”
In 2008, he joined Cardio3Biosciences (now Celyad), a leader in specialized cell therapy development, working on clinical programs in immuno-oncology and cardiovascular diseases. He specialized in cell therapies and actively participated in the research and development of C-Cure, an innovative treatment using modified mesenchymal stem cells to treat heart failure. The program advanced to phase 2 and 3, treating more than 150 patients, before Jean-Pierre Latere took on the role of Business Development director. “Cardio3 allowed me to transition from researcher to entrepreneurship, where I was responsible for project management: raising funds, explaining projects, finding my way, recruiting, innovating, being agile and flexible… All the qualities of an entrepreneur that I experienced,” he mentioned in the same interview.
Jean-Pierre Latere then continued his career in the USA at Dow Corning, a U.S. company specializing in silicones. There, he served as the global leader of the Healthcare Science and Technology division, and later in the Cosmetics division. In this role, he oversaw nearly a hundred people across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. This position allowed him to understand the aspects of product commercialization and, importantly, how every innovation must address needs and understand the customer’s demands.
In January 2017, Jean-Pierre Latere joined Celyad Oncology (formerly Cardio3Biosciences), where he held several roles: Vice President of Regenerative Medicine and Medical Devices, Vice President of Operations and Commercialization, and later Operations Director until May 2020. At the time, Celyad was developing a cancer-fighting program using CAR-T cell products (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T). This groundbreaking treatment essentially reawakens the patient’s immune system, enabling it to eliminate cancer cells. The process involved extracting the patient’s blood, isolating the T lymphocytes, reprogramming them in the lab, and then reinjecting the genetically modified cells back into the patient. “When I discovered CAR-T, it was a pivotal moment for me because a close family member was battling cancer and was in a very difficult stage. Working at Celyad felt like a mission—contributing to improving patients’ lives and also helping families who suffer from this disease.”
In 2020, at 45 years old, faced with the pandemic, Jean-Pierre Latere made a life-changing decision. He realized that he had about twenty more years to push research further. Cancer was too pervasive, causing too much suffering. Autologous and allogeneic treatments, while promising, wouldn’t be enough to treat enough patients. Even with positive clinical results, production logistics and costs would remain significant obstacles.
His thought process? How to produce autologous cells more quickly, simply, and affordably. This led to the creation of EsoBiotec: how to transform each patient into a CAR-T factory, producing their own cells inside their body, eliminating blood transportation and lab production costs. As a result, each patient could become their own source of healing, allowing for the treatment of thousands of patients each year.
The bold idea of in vivo cell therapy
The idea is bold, almost revolutionary. Currently, traditional cell therapies involve extracting the patient’s cells, genetically modifying them outside the body, and then re-administering them after depleting immune cells—a process that often takes weeks. Jean-Pierre Latere decided to reverse this logic. By directly modifying immune cells inside the patient’s body, EsoBiotec’s in vivo approach eliminates many obstacles of traditional therapies. It reduces complexity and manufacturing delays, thus offering better access to treatments for patients.
Promising clinical trials and a hopeful future
The first clinical trial was launched in China in January 2025, in partnership with Pregene Biopharma. The initial results are promising: a patient has already received a dose in a clinical trial on ESO-T01 for recurrent/refractory multiple myeloma.
Hope is becoming a reality, and AstraZeneca is committing, betting on this technology that could reinvent cancer treatment. The goal? A simple injection to start the healing process. The first product is expected to enter clinical trials by 2026.
From Lubumbashi to Mont-Saint-Guibert, from Kinshasa to Liège, from a researcher’s dream to a major medical breakthrough, Jean-Pierre Latere has etched his name among those who dare to challenge the impossible. His journey, which began in a modest laboratory, is now a scientific and entrepreneurial epic. And this may be just the beginning.
