Today, 20 years after we sequenced the first human genome, we’re starting to see the fruits of genomics. Instead of treating symptoms, researchers are focused on finding cures for once chronic and fatal diseases. We’re starting to reimagine medicine in ways previously thought impossible. This week on the For Your Innovation Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Samarth Kulkarni, Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. Sam joined CRISPR in early 2015 as Chief Business Officer. Two years later, in 2017, he was appointed to CEO. In addition to his expertise in biotech strategy and operations, Sam has spearheaded initiatives in personalized medicine, immunotherapy, and other therapeutic technologies. In today’s episode, we’re also joined by ARK’s CEO/ CIO, Cathie Wood, who helps provides her insights on macrotrends currently affecting the biotech industry as we come out of last week’s J.P. Morgan Health Care conference. Tune in to hear more on costs of genomic therapies, AI integration, and why Sam believes the “roaring twenties” of biotech may be on the horizon.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Why today is an exciting time for biotech
- Why Cathie believes macro factors, such as fears of inflation and valuations, are determining the present course of genomics companies
- Innovations and Improvements emerging in the biomedical innovation space
- The importance of former iterations of patented CRISPR-Cas9 for future treatments
- Will the timeline for advancing drugs to market shrink with time?
- Potential gene-editing developments in the near future – including the balance of ex vivo and in vivo
- The possibilities of what it will take to expand human life, while also treating rare diseases
- Sam on why having a capital base for sustainable funding could lead to better long term effects
- Moonshot Ideas and the next 10 years
