How AI is Driving Drug Discovery: Xaira Therapeutics' Marc Tessier Lavigne

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Jan 29, 2026

Marc Tessier-Lavigne, neuroscientist and CEO of Xaira Therapeutics, who shifted from academia to biotech leadership, discusses using AI to design therapeutics for previously undruggable targets. He covers combining AI with high-throughput biology, speeding discovery from lab to clinic, and balancing rapid computational advances with slower biological validation.

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ANECDOTE

From Trenton To Translational Mission

Marc Tessier-Lavigne described his path from Trenton to neuroscience and industry, sparked by courses in physiology and philosophy.
Personal encounters with disabled veterans and his father's stroke turned intellectual curiosity into a mission to help people through translational science.

INSIGHT

People And Purpose Drive Excellence

Great institutions combine clarity of purpose with hiring exceptional people and strong leadership.
Culture and rigorous selection, not compromise, are central to sustained scientific excellence.

ADVICE

Hire Relentlessly High-Caliber People

Maintain an uncompromising hiring bar and be willing to make no offers until you find the right candidate.
Prioritize candidates who aim to change fields fundamentally rather than settle for incremental contributions.

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Xaira Therapeutics is harnessing AI to fundamentally change how we discover and develop medicines, shortening the path from lab to clinic for previously "un-druggable" targets. Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Xaira Therapeutics, sits down with Sonia Gupta, co-head of Biotech Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, to explore his journey from neuroscience to higher-education, the critical role of talent and purpose in building world-class organizations, and a roadmap for translating scientific insight into real-world impact. This session was recorded at the 2025 Goldman Sachs Builders and Innovators Summit on October 16, 2025.

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