LifeSci Partners Podcast

Tune into Episode #2 of the LifeSci Search podcast with Andy Cronin (President & Co-Founder) and Ayesha Price (Sr. Director, Executive Search) as they host Iris Grossman (Chief Therapeutics Officer, Eleven Therapeutics) and Shahram Ebadollahi (Operating Partner, ARCHIMED & Former Chief Data Officer, Novartis) on the topic of AI and ML tools in Drug R&D. We get insights on how the tech is being leveraged in biotech and pharma along the R&D process, overall impact so far, thinking around AI and ML among leadership teams & boards, and perspectives on the competition for AI and ML talent within Life Sciences industry.

Tune into Episode #1 of the LifeSci Search Podcast.

In the clinical setting, the time it takes to address a serious problem can make the difference between life and death. To save as much time as possible, the necessary material – a vessel to do a coronary bypass, for example – needs to be readily available. However, due to the organic nature of that material, acquisition may take more time than you have, and the nature of the end-product may be suboptimal. Enter Humacyte. Using human-sourced cells, Humacyte creates Human Acellular Vessels (HAVs) that are non-immunogenic and available on demand. HAVs are in Phase 3 testing in the settings of both arteriovenous (AV) access, as needed for kidney dialysis, and trauma, as seen in severe injury, such as a war wounds. This indication has attracted the attention of the US Department of Defense and the Ukrainian army – where compassionate use is already underway. And, this is just the beginning. Listen in as Humacyte’s CEO Dr. Laura E. Niklason tells the Humacyte story.

Tune into this 17-minute chat with Erez Raphael, CEO of DarioHealth (NASDAQ: DRIO).

CDK and RAS-targeting drugs already exist, but in the setting of oncology, if it’s not curative, it’s not enough. As a former practicing oncologist, Onconova’s CEO Dr. Steven Fruchtman knows this and has spent his career at the bench, and now the boardroom, working to improve and provide such drugs for cancer patients. His CDK 4/6 drug, Narazaciclib, a drug with a much-improved toxicity profile relative to competitors, will commence a Phase 1/2a trial in endometrial cancer in Q1 2023. Onconova’s RAS inhibitor, Rigosertib, has shown activity in all flavors of KRAS mutations and is currently being tested in a Phase 2 investigation of checkpoint-resistant NSCLC patients. Tune in for a discussion of the next critical readouts.

Tune into this 9-minute chat with Dror Bashan, President & CEO of Protalix Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE: PLX).

Tune into this 17-minute chat with Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent (STO: BINV).

Tune into this 11-minute chat with Raphi Levy, CFO of Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. (NASDAQ: DRTS).

In this 13-minute chat, Amir London, CEO of Kamada Ltd. (NASDAQ: KMDA), discusses the growing commercial business of the company, including six FDA-approved products for rare and serious conditions, and its innovative development pipeline, targeting areas of significant unmet medical need.

In this 15-minute chat, Rob Etherington, President & CEO of Clene, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) discusses the potential for nanosuspensions to improve cellular energy production and treat neurodegenerative diseases, along with Clene’s future directions.

Repairing damage to living tissue often requires the removal or debridement of what was destroyed. This is usually done through surgery—an invasive process performed in a clinical setting that is inherently stressful for the patient. EscharEx is none of that. A topically administered biologic, EscharEx is administered in the outpatient setting, and has been shown to be safe, tolerable, and effective. Listen in as MediWound’s incoming CMO Dr. Robert Snyder describes this innovation.

CTLA-4 was a breakthrough; PD-1—a blockbuster, then IDO got busted and biotech retreated to the bench. It got quiet for a while, but the basic science bounced back, and now we have LAG-3, and on the horizon, a new VISTA. Myeloid cells have the target, and Sensei Bio has the drug. Tune in as CEO John Celebi tells us the story of SNS-101 and why the Fc component is so important.

Endogenous metabolic modulators (EMMs) are composed of amino acids and, when given in combination, have the potential to treat serious disease. With their lead EMM compound AXA1125, a proprietary blend of amino acids, Axcella is posed to address the urgent and growing unmet needs in the settings of long COVID and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). For long COVID, Axcella aims to generate ATP for patients sapped of energy, and for NASH, it aims to impact metabolic pathways involved in fat storage. Tune in as CEO Bill Hinshaw explains the mechanisms, promise, and related IP.

Drug discovery is an adventure, drug delivery is an art. The chemists at Lipocine put their experience to the test — by turning drugs with problematic administration into oral agents with improved bioavailability. With validation from their recently approved testosterone replacement drug, Tlando®, and the licensing potential of three other oral assets for NASH and pre-term birth, Lipocine is now focused on developing oral formulations for depression and epilepsy. Tune in as CEO Mahesh Patel, PhD, describes his development plans.

As the American obesity issue grows, the NASH and SHTG treatment markets concurrently expand. At 89bio, the idea is to use nature itself to therapeutically treat this growing problem. Using their lead asset pegozafermin, an analog of the endogenous hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), to restore metabolic homeostasis and thereby reduce liver fat, as well as triglyceride levels, 89bio is currently advancing their development program in both diseases. Tune in as CEO Rohan Palekar gives updates from the ENLIVEN study for NASH and ENTRIGUE study for SHTG, along with future directions in clinical development.

James Oliviero, CEO of Checkpoint Therapeutics, is certain that fortunes can be won by building better and cheaper mousetraps. That’s why he is positioned to capture significant market share with assets for the de-risked oncology targets of PD-L1, with Cosibelimab, and EGFR with Olafertinib. For Cosibelimab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, Checkpoint offers an improved mechanism of action and a lower price point. For Olafertinib, a 3rd generation EGFR inhibitor, the play is a better tolerability profile that will boost patient compliance. Building better traps—that’s the bottom line.

The CEO of BrainsWay Ltd, Christopher von Jako, is committed to non-invasive medical technologies – particularly when it comes to the brain. A businessman with over 30 years of experience in medical devices and a PhD in neurology, Dr. von Jako now spearheads the continued development, sales, and marketing of BrainsWay’s Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS™) device, a non-invasive, highly effective, and broadly reimbursed therapy for major depressive disorder, anxious depression, OCD, and smoking addiction. Tune into Episode 58 of the Benchtop Bios Podcast Series, where Dr. von Jako highlights the device, supporting data, and company’s plans for an international rollout.

It’s the circle of life: the cell cycle is a molecular merry-go-round for the propagation of all cells, including tumor cells. This process is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), thus, CDK inhibition has long been a goal of drug developers. However, until very recently, toxicity has remained an issue. Early clinical results suggest that Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals has potentially overcome this hurdle. Tune in as Spiro Rombotis, CEO of Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, describes Cyclacel’s Phase 1/2 studies with its two clinical stage molecules, including lead asset fadraciclib, a CDK2/9 inhibitor, in patients with solid tumor cancers and hematological malignancies.

Artios has raised eyebrows, and cash, raising $320 million since its founding in 2016. Led by CEO, Niall Martin, who spearheaded the development of the PARP inhibitor, Lynparza™, along with the scientific guidance of DDR pioneer, Dr. Graeme Smith, Artios has been able to make a scientific impact. However, in this episode, we will explore their financial impact, as CFO Abid Ansari details how Artios has been able survive and thrive in this challenging market environment.

Most oncology drugs turn things off—Alligator Bioscience prefers to turn things on, specifically, the immune system, by way of stimulation with CD40 and 4-1BB agonists. In this podcast, Alligator CEO, Søren Bregenholt, discusses the latest clinical data for lead anti-CD40 asset, mitazalimab, as well as two distinct 4-1BB agonists in development. Additionally, he answers the critical question: How did you tame the toxicity of these signaling molecules when so many others have failed?