IL-2 Program Profits with Bonum's Drs. John Mulligan and Neela Patel
Dec 18, 2023
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Dr. Neela Patel and Dr. John Mulligan discuss Bonum Therapeutics' transition from Good Therapeutics, the Roche acquisition, challenges faced by early-stage biotech companies, and creating a better path for women in biotech.
The acquisition of Good Therapeutics by Roche and the subsequent formation of Bonum Therapeutics involved the sale of Good Therapeutics' PD-1 IL-2 program for $250 million plus milestones, leaving Bonum with the challenge of determining the future of its remaining assets and personnel.
Dr. Neela Patel and Dr. John Mulligan discuss their transitions from academia to industry, highlighting the allure of the biotech industry, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the challenges of bridging the gap between science and business.
Bottom Therapeutics focuses on developing regulated molecules and applying them to various therapeutic areas, with a lead program centered around a lag-3 regulated IL-2 therapy, emphasizing their strategy of partnering and collaborating to expand their reach.
Deep dives
Good Therapeutics acquisition and the rebirth of Bottom Therapeutics
The podcast episode discusses the acquisition of Good Therapeutics by Roche and the subsequent formation of Bottom Therapeutics. The deal involved the sale of Good Therapeutics' PD-1 IL-2 program to Roche for $250 million plus milestones. The acquisition left Good Therapeutics CEO, Dr. John Mulligan, with the challenge of determining the future of the remaining technical assets, intellectual property, and talented personnel. The episode explores the inside stories and untold details of the acquisition and the subsequent development of Bottom Therapeutics. Dr. Nila Patel and Dr. John Mulligan, key players in the acquisition, share their insights on the deal-making process and the strategic decisions made to ensure the success of Bottom Therapeutics.
Transition from academia to industry: Motivations and challenges
Dr. Nila Patel and Dr. John Mulligan discuss their transitions from academia to industry. Dr. Patel shares her career motivations and her decision to join a biotech startup after working in academia and research at Genentech and Abbott, among others. Dr. Mulligan discusses his transition from academia to founding his own biotech company and his subsequent entrepreneurial endeavors. Both speakers highlight the allure of the biotech industry, the appeal of multidisciplinary collaboration, and the challenges of bridging the gap between science and business.
The structure and strategy of Bottom Therapeutics
The episode delves into the structure and strategy of Bottom Therapeutics. Driven by a platform approach, Bottom Therapeutics focuses on developing regulated molecules and applying them to various therapeutic areas. The company's lead program focuses on a lag-3 regulated IL-2 therapy, while other programs target areas such as earfare and alpha, IL-12, and TGF-beta axis. The speakers express their excitement about taking these programs into preclinical development and discuss their strategy of partnering and collaborating with other organizations to expand their reach and leverage their platform technology.
Advocacy for diversity and mentorship in biotech
Dr. Nila Patel emphasizes the importance of diversity and mentorship in the biotech industry. She shares her own experiences of being a woman in both the science and business development fields and highlights the need for open communication, ongoing support, and transparent mentorship programs. Dr. Patel encourages both men and women to actively engage in mentorship and acknowledges the positive impact diverse leadership can have on company performance.
Future plans for Bottom Therapeutics
The speakers discuss the future plans for Bottom Therapeutics, including their focus on taking one of their programs into preclinical development and advancing it towards clinical trials. They also highlight the intention to broaden the reach of their platform technology through collaborations and partnerships in various therapeutic areas beyond autoimmunity. The dynamic and exciting nature of the company's pipeline and their commitment to growing the team and scaling the organization is highlighted as a source of optimism for future success.
On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, we welcome two extraordinary guests - Dr. Neela Patel, a molecular biologist-turned-Chief Business Officer, and Dr. John Mulligan, an academic-turned-founder of newly-formed Bonum Therapeutics. Together, Neela and John will pull back the curtain on Bonum's transition from its predecessor, Good Therapeutics, which was fueled by a high-profile asset sale to Roche. The asset, a PD-1-regulated IL-2 program, was a product of a platform that the new Bonum retains, and its sale to Roche was orchestrated by Dr. Patel. You've seen the terms of the deal in the news, but on this episode, you'll get the inside scoop on how the deal was done, how it set Bonum up for future paltform-driven succes, and how these two leaders retained its IP and its people through a fast, unique, and disruptive acquisition.
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