Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

The World Health Organization reports that more than 600 million people suffer from lower back pain globally, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. Chronic lower back pain – where the pain persists for more than 3 months – develops in between 5 and 10% of all lower back pain cases, with life-altering impacts for patients. And that’s where today’s guest, Steve Ruston, of Persica Pharmaceuticals comes in. Persica is developing a groundbreaking and transformative treatment for chronic Low Back Pain. Persica is targeting the cause of chronic lower back pain: the underlying bacterial infection. Unlike conventional approaches that manage symptoms, Persica’s drug enables the infection to clear, reducing inflammation, pain and disability at the source. 1:20 Introducing Steve Ruston of Persica Pharmaceuticals 3:53 Lessons learnt from developing blockbuster drugs 6:35 Global experiences in the biopharma industry 8:32 Persica Pharmaceuticals and its mission 10:26 Collaborations with a network of partners 11:48 A non-opioid approach to addressing lower back pain 13:35 Treating the cause, not the symptoms 15:05 How Persica’s treatment work 18:59 Practical impacts of Persica’s treatment 21:07 Identifying patients for cLBP treatment 23:24 How Persica is changing the treatment landscape 28:10 Regulatory hurdles to overcome 34:37 Securing funding for Persica’s innovation 36:16 The future of treating pain Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: New non-opioid pain medication: How is the biotech industry fighting pain after the opioid crisis?Developing non-opioid pain drugsRedefining chronic pain treatment

Trauma surgeons in Ukraine operating theaters saved lives and limbs thanks to the innovative lab-grown blood vessels from US biotech, Humacyte. Humacyte is pioneering a platform that enables the investigation, development, and manufacture of bioengineered human tissues and organs that are designed to be universally implantable, off-the-shelf, and regenerative, with the goal of treating a wide variety of diseases, injuries, and chronic conditions. This week I had the chance to speak to Humacyte founder, Preisdent and Chief Executive Laura Niklason about the company she has built, the science she is driving forward, and the real-world applications for Humacyte’s lab-grown blood vessels in some of the most devastating and dangerous conflicts. 1:00 Introducing Laura Niklason 4:50 Humacyte and its mission 6:27 Competitive landscape 7:45 Partnering for scale 9:49 How to grow blood vessels in the lab 11:47 Implanting the vessels 13:32 Human vessels vs synthetic vessels 15:10 The manufacturing process 16:23 Overcoming skepticism, demonstrating value 19:01 Navigating the regulatory approval process 21:17 The role of the Department of Defense in innovative biotech 22:30 Using Humacyte vessels in the field 23:20 Humacyte vessels in the Ukraine War 28:22 Lessons from the Ukraine War 30:09 Goals for the coming years 33:35 Scaling manufacturing Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: Current trends & innovations in 3D organoidsThe future of organ transplants: Xenotransplantation, 3D bioprinting and stem cells

Much of the attention of the biotech industry has been focused on the city of Boston this week as the annual BIO International Convention hit town. BIO is the world’s largest partnering conference for the biopharma industry and thousands of innovators, out-licensors, venture capitalists, top pharma dealmakers, thought leaders and more than a few politicians gathered for three days of meetings, presentations, and networking. In this week’s episode we meet three innovators on the floor in Boston and find out what their BIO experience has been like, how their partnering meetings have progressed, what’s surprised them, and how it feels to be in the middle of the biggest biopharma conference of the year. --- This week’s episode is brought to you by Inpart. If you're in life sciences, you know how complex partnering can be — whether you're searching for the right innovation, managing a portfolio of alliances, or navigating the path from first meeting to signed deal. That’s where Inpart comes in. Inpart is a platform built specifically for partnering in pharma, biotech, and research. It brings together the tools, data, and workflows teams need to scout opportunities, manage submissions, and keep partnerships on track: from discovery through to alliance execution. Whether you're on the lookout for external innovation or trying to simplify internal coordination, Inpart helps you partner more strategically and move faster. To learn more, visit inpart.io. --- 0:00 The ‘Beyond Biotech’ BIO International Convention Special 01:58 Purespring Therapeutics CEO Haseeb Ahmad 14:10 Inpart Chief Business Officer Patrick Speedie 25:44 Newbiologix CEO Igor Fisch Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

What are the most interesting questions in biotech, and is it even possible to find answers to those questions? Alex Telford is the co-founder of Convoke and a biotech blogger from the San Francisco Bay Area. His blog post, 'Some questions about biotech that I find interesting' provoked conversations online as readers engaged with questions about topics as diverse as the impacts of regulation, the role of serendipity in drug discovery, clinical trial failure rates, and the best structure for governing large pharmaceutical companies companies. In this episode Alex explains the work he is doing at Convoke before opening the door to his insatiable curiosity about the biotech industry. 01:17 Introducing Alex Telford 04:28 The business of biotech 09:02 Convoke and its mission 14:21 ‘Some questions about biotech that I find interesting’ 16:57 Why founders should be writing and blogging 18:44 Generating good questions about biotech 20:50 AI and its role in drug discovery 26:21 Will AI mean the end of serendipitous drug discovery? 28:15 Regulatory challenges for biotech 34:17 Is the FDA a net positive or net negative for the industry? 36:56 The unanswerable questions in biotech 39:00 Digital twins in biotechnology 42:15 The next interesting questions in biotech Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: 12 AI drug discovery companies you should know aboutDoes the FDA need to tighten its grip on drug trials in the U.S.?2025 predictions: Which trends are set to shape the biotech industry this year?

When biotechs start fundraising they regularly turn to the venture capital market seeking investment. The pool of VC money can be large, and part of that pool is corporate venture capital. Backed by firms keen to identify the next big thing in biotechnology, corporate VC money can be an attractive way for biotechs to raise funds privately while benefiting from the support and expertise of corporate supporters. This week I talked with Paolo Di Giorgio and Regina Hodits of Angelini Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Angelini Industries, itself the parent company of Angelini Pharma. Paolo and Regina lay out their perspective on the current fundraising landscape, identify the trends and opportunities for innovative biotechs in Europe, and walk me though the biggest threats to the biotech investment market they see on the near horizon. 01:15 Introducing Paolo Di Giorgio 04:00 Introducing Regine Hodits 05:31 The mission of Angelini Ventures 09:55 Focus areas and investments in early stage science 14:30 The state of venture capital investment in biotech in 2025 17:48 Why biotechs should favor corporate venture capital 20:43 Why networking and expertise matter in fundraising 26:05 The therapeutic areas and modalities that are hot right now 29:19 Geographic focus for corporate venture capital 33:28 Threats on the horizon 36:36 What keeps a corporate VC investor up at night? 40:13 Keep in touch with Angelini Ventures Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Biotechnology has always been a dynamic domain, but the world of finance that provides the fuel for the fire is just as vibrant. Trying to predict where the market for biotech investment is heading is always risky but for experts like Baker McKenzie’s Roel Meers, understanding where the market is moving is where he eats. I spoke to Roel this week to unpack just where biotech funding stands in Q2 2025, to get a feel for the sorts of M&As, IPOs, and licensing deals we should be looking for in the second half of the year. We also talk about some alternative financing options for innovators and early-stage firms. 01:09 Introducing Roel Meers 02:18 Corporate finance and the life sciences 04:53 Brussels, Europe, and beyond: Baker McKenzie’s global footprint 06:21 Navigating life science regulations and regulators 10:33 De-risking biotech investments in uncertain times 11:57 How investors are minimizing risk in 2025 13:35 Funding trends for biotechs in emerging hubs, including Benelux 15:58 The deal types that will dominate 2025 17:35 The therapeutic areas where deals are being done 19:16 Trends in biotech in Europe, in North America, and in the Asia-Pacific 20:36 Macroeconomics and biotechnology finance 22:54 De-risking deals by lowering upfronts, increasing milestones 26:38 What to consider when choosing alternative financing options 30:35 When should biotechs bring in outside finance experts 33:47 Looking beyond 2025 – what’s coming, and why 36:38 How European biotechs can position themselves for funding success Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: 2025 biotech funding tracker: recent highlightsThe ABC of biotech startup fundingTop biotech grants and campaigns

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is already changing how people research, communicate, and interact, but its biggest impacts on biotech are still to come. Cradle is a Dutch-Swiss biotech startup founded in 2021 that has developed a web-based software platform leveraging GenAI to accelerate protein design and optimization, aiding scientists in biotechnology R&D. Cradle’s technology integrates AI with wet lab experimentation, doubling the speed of most projects compared to industry benchmarks. In this episode I talk to Cradle co-founder Elise de Reus to discover how their software platform is putting the ‘tech’ into biotech, and learn how some of the biggest names in pharma R&D are coming to rely on Cradle to accelerate their experimentation and get therapies to patients faster. 01:30 A passion for biotech from a young age 03:20 First experiences in the industry 07:23 Cradle and its mission 09:08 Generative AI at Cradle 10:27 Partnering and collaborations 13:37 Taking generative AI into the wet lab 14:43 A techbio company, not a biotech company 17:36 “Photoshop for proteins” 18:29 Use case: animal free food 20:17 Use case: medicines 23:56 Use case: sustainable materials 25:12 The Cradle business model 28:17 Technical challenges 29:48 Regulatory challenges 31:44 Where AI will have the greatest impact 33:29 The most exciting things to come Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: 12 AI drug discovery companies you should know aboutHow AI is shaping clinical research and trials

There are cell therapies, gene therapies, and biologics – and then there is Immusoft. Immusoft sits at the nexus point of some of the most innovative approaches in biopharma, and their Immune System Programming platform is unique in its capacity to address the rare disease, MPS I. This week we talk with Immusoft CEO Sean Ainsworth to learn more about his journey in biotechnology, the work that Immusoft is doing in B-cell reprogramming and unpack some of the positive results that the company recently shared at the WORLD Symposium. 01:08 Early interests in biotechnology 03:21 First experiences in biotech entrepreneurship 04:29 Startup exits and liquidity events 07:32 Influences and mentors 08:43 Immusoft and its mission 09:28 Programming B-cells 13:08 Disease targets 14:55 Encountering and overcoming technical challenges 15:53 MPS I 17:38 Differentiation for MPS I patients 19:42 WORLD Symposium 2025 20:23 What’s next in the clinic 21:25 Urgency vs safety 24:26 At the nexus of cell therapy, gene therapy, and biologics 27:20 Manufacturing, scaling, and funding 30:31 Next on the horizon for Immusoft Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: Rare Disease Day: seven drugs awaiting approval in 202510 biotech companies making a difference in rare diseases

Flagship Pioneering doesn't go out to find the next big thing in biotech when investing their billions in fund capital - instead, they take a different route. Flagship Pioneering has founded more than 100 companies in the life sciences worth in total an estimated $75 billion. With a proven model for biotech startup success and a culture designed to surface new and interesting ideas, Flagship offers a different approach to biotech funding that is paying off time and again. In this episode I talk with Lovisa Afzelius, a General Partner at Flagship, uncover the ways in which Flagship is shaking up the biotech funding model, and come to understand the reasons why others will have a hard time imitating its success. This episode is brought to you by Jubilant Biosys. 01:52 Meet Lovisa Afzelius 03:37 Learning lessons in big pharma 04:56 From top pharma to startup biotech 07:23 Two different worlds and ways of thinking 08:29 Flagship Pioneering 13:39 Finding the right people 18:13 Deploying capital to create value 21:06 Expanding into new markets 21:55 How does the Flagship model identify disruptors so well? 24:20 Why don’t others emulate the Flagship model? 25:36 Building a culture of ‘yes, and…’ 27:47 Learning from the companies that don’t succeed 30:49 Artificial intelligence and biology 35:19 Lessons from business that never found market fit 37:29 The future for Flagship 39:55 The importance of diversity in biotech Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: The ABC of biotech startup fundingMeet the ‘biotech mafia’: how specialized biotech VC firms are dominating industry funding once again2025 biotech funding tracker: recent highlights

Are TCR-NK treatments the next big thing in cell therapies for cancer patients? As biotechs and pharma companies continue to innovate to address patient needs in oncology, T-cell receptor therapies, or TCR-Ts, are attracting significant interest and investment. There are already some promising results for TCR-Ts tackling solid tumors – but one Norwegian biotech is taking a slightly different track. This week, we sit down with Namir Hassan, CEO of Zelluna, a company with a mission to eliminate solid cancers by pioneering the development of T cell receptor guided natural killer, or TCR-NK, cell therapies. 01:45 Introducing Namir Hassan 03:37 Working at Immunocore 04:40 Lessons learned 06:56 Joining Zelluna as CSO 08:44 Becoming Zelluna CEO 10:20 Taking a biotech company public 12:54 TCR-T and TCR-NK therapies 15:30 Targets for TCR-NK therapies 16:38 Comparing TCR-NK to alternatives 20:16 Early success 21:58 An off-the-shelf-solution for cancer patients 24:16 Manufacturing and scaling 25:13 Partnering with top pharma, accelerating innovation 27:05 Milestones ahead for Zelluna 28:52 The landscape of TCR therapies in oncology 31:38 A final word Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: Future of cancer treatment: what will therapy look like in 2034?Trends in cancer therapeutics to look forward to in 2025Oncology R&D trends and breakthrough innovations

AI is driving innovation across industries, including biotech, but where is its influence felt most and what opportunities for future impact are emerging? David del Bourgo is the co-founder and CEO of WhiteLab Genomics, an innovative biotech that is leveraging the power of AI to accelerate drug discovery and development from its Paris, Boston, and Montreal bases. In this episode he explains how WhiteLab uses AI technologies to identify targets and engineer vectors, but also offers a wider view of how and where AI is impacting the biotech industry generally. 01:04 Introducing David del Bourgo 04:06 The WhiteLab Genomics mission 10:54 AI in biotech: what’s working now 14:07 AI in biotech: emerging applications 15:58 Regulating AI in biotech and in general 17:21 Acceleration and cost savings thanks to AI 19:09 AI’s impact on accuracy and precision 21:07 The trade-off with AI in biotech 22:38 Why top pharma companies aren’t building their own AI tools 24:43 AI and biomanufacturing 26:58 AI in biotech and pharma operations 28:40 The next impacts of AI in biotech 30:38 Accelerating regulatory review with AI 32:24 Emerging AI techniques in biotech 33:59 The pace of AI innovation 35:21 The next challenge for AI in biotech 36:10 A word for the AI skeptics Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic: 12 AI drug discovery companies you should know aboutThe AI boom in cancer: Game-changer or just hype?Are we in an AI bubble? Biotech AI startups’ value plummet and leads to restructuration

From llamas and camels to humans worldwide. Nanobodies are enjoying success in the clinic and experts are hailing these camelid-derived biologics as one of the next big things in immunotherapy. Kristian Reich is co-founder and CSO of MoonLake Immunotherapeutics. After a long and distinguished career as a clinician and researcher, Kristian helped to launch MoonLake in 2021 and quickly helped move their lead candidate to the clinic. Now, on the verge of Phase III trials, he joins 'Beyond Biotech' to talk nanobodies, innovation, serendipitous science, and the power that comes from never stopping to dream. 01:04 Meet Kristian Reich 05:26 Excited by the science of nanobodies 07:13 MoonLake’s mission 13:12 Milestones at MoonLake 15:24 Introduction to nanobodies 17:55 Serendipitous science 19:46 How nanobodies work 23:18 Global prevelance of immune conditions 24:31 The impact on patients 27:09 Nanobodies in the clinic 31:19 Manufacturing challenges, regulatory challenges 34:04 Working with top pharma 35:55 The future of nanobodies 37:42 The future of MoonLake 39:10 Don’t stop dreaming Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Cell therapies are at the cutting edge of personalized medicine but as demand for these therapies grows, how will the industry scale manufacturing to meet patient needs? Fabian Gerlinghaus is co-founder and CEO of Cellares. He and his team have developed the Cell Shuttle, an advanced cell manufacturing technology that is already demonstrating the potential to 10x cell yields while halving costs for pharmaceuticals companies and innovators. Is this the future for smart cell manufacturing? 0:52 A starting point in aeronautical engineering 2:43 First steps into biotech 5:25 Co-founding Cellares 6:30 The problem that Cellares addresses 11:02 Best practice bio manufacturing 17:14 Differentiation in automation 18:15 What does success look like for Cellares 19:38 Smart factories 21:58 Inside the Cellares smart factory 26:34 Manufacturing CAR-T and stem cell therapies 27:54 Mass production vs personalized medicine 31:39 Global ambitions and regional regulators 35:07 Positioning Cellares in the market Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Spinal cord injuries impact millions of people worldwide and, unlike many chronic injuries, they usually arrive with no forewarning, impacting the young and old alike. Brian Culley is CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics and his company is now in the clinic with a stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries. Learn why stem cells could be promising for these devastating injuries and how Brian and his team plan to overcome the challenges of manufacturing at scale and succeeding in a highly regulated space. 00:57 Meet Brian Culley 02:15 Lineage Cell Therapeutics and its mission 04:56 Spinal cord injuries 06:40 Costs beyond the Individual 08:15 Current treatment options 10:48 The place for stem cell therapies 12:57 Lineage in the clinic 16:27 The DOSED program 18:37 The advantages of DOSED 20:29 Timelines for results 21:35 Scaling manufacturing 24:28 Partnering with pharma on stem cell therapies 26:38 Other applications for stem cell therapies 28:49 Mainstreaming stem cell therapies 30:52 Challenges ahead 32:43 The future for Lineage Cell Therapeutics Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Mitochondria are famously the powerhouse of the cell, but will mitochondrial therapeutics power the next big mainstream medical breakthrough? Klaus Dugi is CEO of Vandria, a biotech that develops mitophagy inducers that rejuvenate cells to treat age-related and chronic diseases. He joins 'Beyond Biotech' to talk cell mitophagy, biotech agility, and innovation in tackling neurodegenerative disease. 00:42 Introducing Klaus Dugi 02:51 Lessons learned in top pharma 05:10 The gap that Vandria seeks to fill 06:21 Mitochondrial therapeutics 07:45 Mitophagy inducers and how they work 14:53 Comparing approaches to treating neurodegenerative diseases 17:20 Aging, longevity, and healthy life years 25:26 Challenges ahead 27:31 Performance enhancement and resilience 31:15 Towards the mainstream? 34:35 Looking forward for Vandria 36:02 Developments to watch out for in mitochondrial therapeutics Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Regeneration Biomedical has developed a new technique to address neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's using stem cell therapy. Dr. Christopher Duma, has long been an innovator in neurosurgery using a gamma knife radiosurgery to treat glioblastoma. Now with Regeneration Biomedical, Duma is taking on neurodegenerative diseases with a first-in-human clinical trial where a patient's own stem cells are injected directly into their brain. On the podcast this week, we talk with Duma about his career in neurosurgery, the impetus for launching his biotech, the promise of stem cell therapy, and the challenges innovators face moving new therapies through the clinic. 00:38 Introducing Dr Christopher Duma 02:44 Advances and breakthroughs in neurosurgery 05:33 The vision and impetus for Regeneration Biomedical 10:45 Regeneration Biomedical’s R&D pipeline 14:12 Milestones ahead 14:46 Advancing beyond Alzheimer’s Disease 15:52 Stems cells from fat cells 19:42 Bypassing the blood-brain barrier 22:45 Patient recruitment 24:13 The treatment process 27:10 The state of stem cell research in the US 29:29 The challenge of financing innovative research 32:15 Global stem cell research landscape 33:14 Controversy in stem cell research 34:00 Future horizons for Regeneration Biomedical 37:23 Partnering with top pharma companies 37:48 Advice for researchers and entrepreneurs Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

We’re taking a short break this week and, while we’re away, we invite you to enjoy one of our favorite episodes. We will return with a brand-new episode next week! Immunai is mapping the immune system at unprecedented scale and granularity. The map, paired with machine learning, looks at how the immune system will respond to drug targets, offering an affordable way to prevent expensive drug failures. The ultimate goal is to market immune treatments for diseases like cancer faster than ever before. In this week’s conversation, Noam Solomon, CEO and co-founder of Immunai, covers the data gap in drug discovery and how machine learning (ML) can solve it, how to de-risk early-stage drug discovery, predictions for AI, and more. 00:49-01:13: About Immunai 01:13-01:45: Why map the immune system? 01:45-02:44: Are you taking a step back to study the problem in order to move forward? 02:44-03:49: How difficult is it to map the immune system? 03:49-05:29: What is your AMICA platform? 05:29-07:24: Where does your data come from? 07:24-09:09: How do you account for differences between patients? 09:09-11:35: What are the biggest challenges to drug development? 11:35-14:07: How can AI improve drug development? 14:07-14:55: Will AI advances speed up drug development? 14:55-16:06: Is the use of AI applicable in all diseases and conditions? 16:06-17:48: What sets your approach apart from other companies using AI? 17:48-18:54: What partnerships does Immunai have? 18:54-20:24: What are pharma companies looking for from Immunai? 20:24-23:17: How can AI help with clinical trials? 23:17-24:32: Can AI help with preventative care? 24:32-26:30: Google Maps for the immune system 26:30-27:18: What will we see from AI in drug discovery in the short term? 27:18-28:06: What are the next steps for Immunai? Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Sweden's fastest growing private biotech, Anocca, is making plans for clinical trials in pancreatic cancer, with the TCR-T cell therapy trials called VIDAR-1. The CEO, Reagan Jarvis, when a researcher, pitched the company idea to a leading Swedish industrialist, who became co-founder, and provided the initial financing. The company has raised more than €100m to date. On the podcast this week, we have a conversation with Jarvis about TCR-T cell therapies, creating off-the-shelf products and partnerships with EmendoBio and Shinobi Therapeutics. 00:43-02:10: About Anocca 02:10-04:16: About TCR-T cell therapies and their use in treatments 04:16-06:02: Anocca’s approach to T-cell biology, cutting-edge biotechnologies and integrated software 06:02-07:58: A different approach to other cell and gene therapy companies 07:58-09:16: Facing challenges 09:16-10:48: Addressing conditions and diseases 10:48-11:54: Pancreatic cancer 11:54-13:40: What represents success for Anocca? 13:40-14:09: What is VIDAR-1? 14:09-16:08: Partnerships 16:08-18:05: Scaling up and addressing costs 18:05-20:07: How is TCR-T therapy evolving? 20:07-23:11: The impact of artificial intelligence 23:11-25:16: Anocca timeline 25:16-25:57: Closing comments ` Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Resalis Therapeutics is pursuing a groundbreaking approach to obesity treatment. Unlike current therapies that primarily focus on appetite suppression, Resalis’ lead program, RES-010, is a non-coding RNA drug candidate that targets underlying biological pathways to promote sustainable weight loss. By enhancing energy expenditure through white-to-brown adipose tissue conversion while preserving muscle mass, RES-010 is positioned as an ideal standalone therapy or a synergistic option for long-term weight management. The company recently initiated a phase 1 study in December 2024 for RES-010 in healthy and obese subjects, and they also secured an equity investment from Sanofi in October 2024. To talk about ways to tackle obesity, and Resalis’ approach, our guest on the podcast this week is Alessandro Toniolo, CEO of Resalis Therapeutics. 00:57-05:06: About Resalis Therapeutics 05:06-08:59: Issues of obesity 08:59-13:20: Companies working on obesity treatments 13:20-15:34: Does suppressing appetite affect nutrition? 15:34-17:49: Introduction of new obesity treatments 17:49-21:33: Approaches other than appetite suppression 21:33-22:38: RES-010 mode of action 22:38-24:04: Administration methods 24:04-25:11: Clinical trials 25:11-26:38: Resalis’ pipeline 26:38-28:08: Next steps for Resalis 28:08-28:36: Effect of obesity on other parts of the body 28:36-29:06: Final comments ` Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

CatalYm is preparing to initiate its broad phase 2b clinical development program for visugromab to tackle multiple solid tumor indications. Visugromab is a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the tumor-derived growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a locally acting immunosuppressant fostering immunotherapy resistance. Neutralizing GDF-15 with visugromab reverses key cancer resistance mechanisms to reinstate an efficient anti-tumor response by reenabling immune cell activation, proliferation and Interferon-γ signature induction. Visugromab has demonstrated a good safety profile and potent and durable anti-tumor efficacy in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment in advanced cancer patients, as highlighted in its recent Nature publication and interim clinical data. This week we have a conversation with Eugen Leo, chief medical officer at CatalYm. 01:30-03:38: About CatalYm 03:38-06:59: Solid tumors and also why they are hard to treat 06:59-09:04: Current treatments for solid tumors 09:04-10:47: What is immunotherapy resistance? 10:47-12:23: What is visugromab? 12:23-13:32: CatalYm’s clinical development program 13:32-15:12: What represents success for patients using visugromab? 15:12-17:50: Other treatment options being developed 17:50-19:50: CatalYm’s pipeline and the future This week’s podcast was sponsored by TCR Solutions. Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter