Dec 18, 2025 What if lifesaving antibodies could be made without relying on millions of liters of donor plasma? We sit down with Lyric Bio’s co‑founders, immunologist and bioprinting pioneer Melanie Mathieu and biotech operator Kevin “Kayj” Shannon, to unpack how tissue‑engineered bioreactors could turn IVIG from a scarce, rationed therapy into an affordable, abundant standard of care. Their thesis is bold: recreate the right human tissue niche in vitro, unlock massive cell density and physiological function, and you can manufacture complex therapeutics at a fraction of today’s cost.
We trace IVIG’s unique value across more than a hundred indications—from transplant support to autoimmune disease—and explain why polyclonal antibodies often outperform monoclonals in real‑world complexity. The team breaks down donor “terroir,” why some regional pools show different efficacy profiles, and how blending and future donor selection can improve consistency. They also detail the quality bar: pathogen responsiveness beyond legacy requirements, subclass balance, and glycosylation patterns that influence anti‑inflammatory activity. Along the way, we talk candidly about what IVIG couldn’t do for acute COVID, why abundance could change oncology practice by enabling prophylaxis, and how polyclonality reduces escape risks compared to single‑target antibodies.
Then we get into the build. Using ultra high‑resolution bioprinting from Prellis Bio heritage, Lyric designs a hand‑held bioreactor that mimics tissue microenvironments so B cells behave like they do in vivo. The result is a radically smaller footprint, faster iteration, and a cost model that targets 10–100x reductions. A coffee‑cup–sized reactor producing over a thousand doses per run isn’t a distant dream—it’s the planned MVP. We close with timelines, funding news, and an invitation to experts across IVIG, immunology, and biomanufacturing to help accelerate a new era of complex therapeutic manufacturing.
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⚠️ Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed do not constitute engineering, medical, or financial advice. The technologies and procedures discussed may not be commercially available or suitable for every case. Always consult with a qualified professional.
About our guests:
Dr. Melanie Matheu
Dr. Melanie Matheu is an immunologist, inventor, and biotechnologist recognized for pioneering work in high-resolution tissue engineering and human immunology. She received her PhD in Physiology and Biophysics with a focus on Immunology from UC Irvine and completed postdoctoral training at VIB (Ghent University, Belgium) and UC San Francisco, where she specialized in 2-photon imaging and cellular immune responses. As founder of Prellis Biologics, Dr. Matheu brought forward laser-based tissue bioprinting to solve complex challenges in organ transplantation and therapeutic antibody discovery. She later co-founded Lyric Bio, where she serves as Chief Scientific Officer, advancing scalable biomanufacturing platforms and rapid human immune system modeling. Dr. Matheu has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, holds multiple patents, and is a passionate advocate for innovation at the intersection of immunology and bioengineering.
Kevin Shannon (Kayj)
Kevin Shannon (Kayj) holds a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Kayj has held positions spanning the biotech ecosystem including start-ups, big pharma, venture capital, and consulting. As part of Corporate Strategy at Amgen, he worked with Amgen’s C-Suite to shape long-term strategy, built partnerships in novel therapeutic modalities, and led investments in emerging categories including cell & gene therapy, antibody engineering, single cell analysis, and quantum computing. Kayj has also consulted for multiple VC funds where he developed investment theses and performed diligence in emerging technologies. Most recently, led business development for Zafrens, raising >$20M and securing two pharma company partnerships.
Kayj was first introduced to Melanie and the Prellis bioprinting technology when she brought him on as a consultant to evaluate initial applications for the company’s technology. Because of their strong working relationship and the remarkable nature of the technology, Kayj is excited to reunite with Melanie and join Lyric as CEO.
Relevant Links:
Prellis Biologics official website
Meiji Seika Pharma Invests in Lyric Bio for Next-Generation Human Immunoglobulin Manufacturing
Clinical uses of intravenous immunoglobulin
A phase 3 trial of IV immunoglobulin for Alzheimer disease
Core drug and antibody concepts
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
A pooled IgG antibody therapy made from the plasma of many donors, infused through a vein to treat immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, transplant‑related issues, and some inflammatory conditions.
Reference: NCBI StatPearls – Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG).ncbi.nlm.nih - Immunoglobulin G (IgG)
The main antibody class in IVIG that circulates in blood, providing long‑term protection by recognizing pathogens and modulating immune responses; subclasses (IgG1–4) have distinct functions.
Reference: NCBI StatPearls – IgG composition in IVIG.ncbi.nlm.nih - Polyclonal antibody / polyclonal IVIG
A diverse mixture of antibodies from many B‑cell clones recognizing many epitopes, capturing broad “pathogen memory” from the donor population; this breadth underlies IVIG’s usefulness across many diseases.
Reference: Thermo Fisher, “Monoclonal vs. Polyclonal Antibodies”.thermofisher - Monoclonal antibody
A single, highly specific antibody species produced from one engineered B‑cell clone (e.g., in CHO cells), used as targeted biologic drugs but easier for pathogens or tumors to escape than polyclonal mixtures.
Reference: Thermo Fisher, “Monoclonal vs. Polyclonal Antibodies”.thermofisher - Complex therapeutics
Term used here for therapies too compositionally complex to be manufactured cost‑effectively with conventional single‑clone bioreactor systems, such as polyclonal IVIG, stem cells, or red blood cells.
Reference: faCellitate – bioreactors and complex tissue constructs.facellitate
Manufacturing platform concepts
- Bioreactor (tissue‑like bioreactor)
A controlled system supplying cells with nutrients, oxygen, and physical cues; Lyric Bio aims to recreate human tissue (e.g., spleen‑like B‑cell niches) at very high cell density in a small‑volume reactor.
Reference: ScienceDirect, “Bioreactor design for tissue engineering”.sciencedirect - High‑density cell culture
Growing cells at near‑tissue densities instead of dilute suspension, dramatically increasing antibody output per volume and enabling 10–100× lower projected cost per gram of IVIG.
Reference: Wiley, “Bioreactors in tissue engineering—principles, applications and commercial constraints”.onlinelibrary.wiley - Two‑photon bioprinting
A high‑resolution 3D bioprinting method using focused two‑photon laser polymerization to build micron‑scale structures that mimic tissue architecture and support precise immune cell niches.
Reference: Wiley review discussing advanced bioreactor and scaffold fabrication.onlinelibrary.wiley - Plasma fractionation (plasma‑derived IVIG)
The current industrial process in which plasma from large donor pools is separated into components and IgG is purified into IVIG; it requires millions of liters of plasma and large fractionation plants.
Reference: OncoLink – description of plasma‑derived IVIG production.oncolink - Immortalized B‑cell line
B cells modified to proliferate indefinitely and continuously secrete antibodies, enabling stable, long‑term manufacturing once optimal donor profiles are identified.
Reference: Proteintech – monoclonal antibody production from immortalized clones.ptglab
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