Lifers with Christina Farr Breaking down biotech with Daphne Zohar: VC dynamics, drug development, and the Biosecure Act
Aug 7, 2024
Daphne Zohar, Founder and CEO of Seaport Therapeutics, shares her deep insights into the biotech landscape. She discusses the complex challenges of drug development, particularly in psychiatric treatments, while shedding light on high failure rates and funding obstacles. Daphne explores the intersection of tech and biotech investment, emphasizing the regulatory hurdles and the implications of the Biosecure Act on innovation. She advocates for greater transparency in the industry and the necessity of political support to drive progress in patient care.
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Scale And Urgency Of Mental Health Needs
- Mental health disorders like anxiety and depression affect hundreds of millions and mirror obesity in broad societal impact.
- Even modestly effective psychiatric drugs can succeed commercially due to huge unmet need.
Rescue Dormant Drugs With Targeted Fixes
- Repurpose partially developed drugs that showed human efficacy but were halted for specific liabilities.
- Fixing the liability with modern technology can rescue promising neuropsychiatric candidates.
The Valley Of Death Explains Translation Gaps
- The 'valley of death' sits between academic breakthroughs and clinical development and often halts translation.
- Translational work and early preclinical funding take years and are the hardest to finance.