The Biotech Startups Podcast

🧬 Dr. Kate Yen: Scaling a Biotech, Running Lean, & Utilizing Translational Biology (Part 2)

Feb 20, 2025

52:19

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“I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, but when I couldn’t find a company doing what I believed in, I built my own.”

In part two of our conversation with Kate Yen, Founder and CEO of Auron Therapeutics, we explore her journey from leading a novel cancer therapy program at Agios to founding her own biotech company.

Kate shares insights into drug development, clinical trials, and the business of biotech, highlighting the importance of translational biology, strategic partnerships, and lean operations in building a successful biotech startup.

Kate earned her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from UCLA, where she also completed her postdoc. Before Auron, she held roles at Merck and as a UCLA professor before joining Agios Pharmaceuticals, where she led the IDH translational research team behind two FDA-approved IDH mutant inhibitors and co-led the discovery of vorasidenib, a promising glioma therapy now in clinical development.

Key topics covered:

Navigating clinical trials from discovery to FDA approval with a biomarker-driven approach
The importance of translational biology and how Auron integrates it from day one
Building a lean biotech startup, from early fundraising to assembling a high-impact team
Securing big pharma partnerships in a challenging biotech market
Leveraging AI and machine learning to map cancer biology and identify new drug targets

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Find our guest, Kate Yen, at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-yen-448b22108/

Website: https://www.aurontx.com/

Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee

Learn more about Excedr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/

Website: https://www.excedr.com

Resources & articles mentioned:

The Role of Translational Biology in Drug Development: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359644612004060

Navigating Clinical Trials: https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-drug-and-device-approvals/drug-development-process

Building & Running a Lean Biotech Startup: https://www.lablaunch.org/post/building-a-lean-biotech-startup

Biotech Startup Fundraising Options: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-options

Biotech Partnerships - How Partnerships Support R&D: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-research

How to Bootstrap Your Biotech Startup & Scale: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-bootstrap-biotech-startup

How to Choose the Right CRO for Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/blog/contract-research-organizations

How Much Does Lab Space Cost? https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-much-does-lab-space-cost

Top VC Firms for Biotech in 2024 - Supporting Innovation & Growth: https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-vc-firms-for-biotech

50 Biotech Seed & Angel Investors to Check Out in 2025: https://www.excedr.com/blog/biotech-seed-and-angel-investors

Companies & people mentioned:

Auron Therapeutics: https://www.aurontx.com/

Merck: https://www.merck.com/

Agios Pharmaceuticals: https://www.agios.com/

UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/

Princeton University: https://www.princeton.edu/

Charles Sawyers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sawyers

Lew Cantley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_C._Cantley

David Schenkein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schenkein-md-45342476/

Mike Carey: https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/members/michael-carey

Ruben Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reuben-shaw-1b8611109/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:10 Kate Yen’s transition into leadership at Agios

05:39 Navigating clinical trials and biomarker-driven decision-making

10:29 The importance of translational biology in drug development

14:19 Taking the leap to start Auron Therapeutics

18:36 Raising early funding and building a lean biotech startup

26:41 Leveraging AI and machine learning in cancer drug discovery

30:58 Running a biotech startup with a sustainable and transparent culture

41:07 Fundraising strategies to expanding Auron’s platform beyond oncology

47:08 Closing questions for Kate

49:35 Outro

The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.