Biotech 2050 Podcast

Synopsis: This episode is proudly sponsored by Quartzy. What happens when engineering discipline, business pragmatism, and breakthrough immunology collide? In this episode of Biotech 2050, host Alok Tayi sits down with Jay Hartenbach, President & COO of Diakonos Oncology, to unpack one of the most unconventional—and promising—approaches in cancer immunotherapy today. Jay traces his journey from biomedical engineering into biotech operations, sharing how Diakonos was built outside the traditional venture playbook and why the company chose to tackle two of the most punishing cancers first: glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer. He reveals how Diakonos’ dual-loading dendritic cell platform creates an exponentially stronger immune response—essentially tricking the body into launching a viral-level attack against cancer. From capital-efficient clinical execution to nontraditional fundraising and early signs of durable patient responses, this conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how bold science, disciplined operations, and relentless persistence can reshape what’s possible in oncology. Biography: Jay Hartenbach is a distinguished leader in the biotechnology and wellness sectors, known for his passionate commitment to advancing innovative healthcare solutions and transforming patient outcomes. He currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer at Diakonos Oncology, where he is leading the team through the development and clinical advancement of pioneering immunotherapies targeting some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, including glioblastoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.​ Since joining Diakonos Oncology, Jay has been instrumental in achieving significant milestones such as attaining FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designation for the company’s lead candidate, DOC1021, securing greater than $30 million in financing, and establishing research collaborations with leading cancer centers to advance the clinical trials of the company’s novel dendritic cell vaccine platform. Before his role at Diakonos, Jay co-founded Medterra, a globally recognized wellness company that set industry standards for quality and innovation, and where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Board, shaping high-level strategic direction. He also co-founded Perland Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage biotech firm focused on developing therapies for arthritis conditions, and has held leadership and board advisory roles across several life sciences ventures.​ Jay holds a degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Miami and a Master of Engineering Management from Duke University, grounding his entrepreneurial leadership with scientific expertise.

Synopsis: This episode is proudly sponsored by Quartzy. In this far-reaching conversation, Rahul Chaturvedi speaks with John Lepore, CEO & President of ProFound Therapeutics and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, tracing a career shaped by a deep commitment to understanding the causal machinery of human disease. John shares how a Harvard-trained physician-scientist evolved into a biotech leader building one of the industry’s most ambitious platform companies. Reflecting on 17 years at GSK — from academic cardiologist to running global research — John describes the moment he realized traditional target discovery had reached its limits. That insight propelled him into Flagship’s venture-creation ecosystem and ultimately into leading ProFound Therapeutics, where the team is uncovering tens of thousands of previously unknown human proteins that could fundamentally reshape drug discovery and unlock true first-in-class opportunities. John also offers a candid look at today’s biotech leadership realities: navigating capital-tight markets, fostering high-trust pharma partnerships, making disciplined early kill decisions, and using AI to extract causal insights from vast proteomic datasets. Together, he and Rahul explore why the expanded human proteome may be medicine’s next great frontier — and what it takes, scientifically and psychologically, to lead a company bold enough to pursue it. Biography: John Lepore, M.D., is CEO and President of ProFound Therapeutics and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, where he is leading a new era of drug discovery by harnessing the expanded proteome to build a pipeline of first-in-class medicines. A physician-scientist and accomplished pharma executive, he joined ProFound following a 17-year career at GSK, where he was most recently SVP, Head of Research, leading a 2,500+ person global team and driving a renewed focus on immunology and human genetics across target discovery and validation, modality platforms, drug discovery, and clinical translation. He also chaired GSK’s Research Review and Investment Board, guiding capital allocation and R&D strategy. Under his leadership, GSK advanced 15 Phase 1 programs with first- or best-in-class potential and executed $1B+ in strategic R&D deals. Before joining the biopharma industry, Dr. Lepore was a faculty cardiologist and research investigator at the University of Pennsylvania, where his lab investigated the transcription regulation of cardiovascular development. He currently serves on the boards of ProFound, KSQ Therapeutics, and the Innovation Growth Board of Mass General Brigham. Dr. Lepore received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Scranton and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, after which he completed his residency and post-doctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Synopsis: This episode is proudly sponsored by Quartzy. Biotech is undergoing a scientific redesign, and Jason Kelly reveals to host Alok Tayi how automation, AI-ready datasets, and modular lab technologies are reshaping the future of R&D. Jason explains why legacy biopharma data—messy, inconsistent, and lacking metadata—cannot power modern machine learning, and why the industry must generate entirely new, massively standardized experimental datasets to unlock AI’s true potential. He walks through Ginkgo’s evolution from platform partnerships to a next-generation CRO built for AI-driven discovery, offering industrialized functional genomics, mammalian engineering, CRISPR libraries, and high-throughput developability assays at unprecedented scale. Jason also describes how Ginkgo’s reconfigurable automation systems—robotic building blocks that replace 18-month custom builds—are democratizing high-throughput experimentation and making advanced lab infrastructure as flexible as cloud computing. Together, Jason and Alok explore how the fusion of automation and AI can collapse R&D timelines, rewrite cost structures, and enable thousands of new biotech companies to test ideas faster than ever before. For scientists, engineers, and AI practitioners, this episode offers a compelling look at the new scientific architecture emerging at the intersection of robotics, data, and programmable biology. Biography: Dr. Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. He took the company public and raised $1.6B in the largest US biotech public listing to date in 2021. Today the company is pioneering autonomous labs that accelerate bioengineering across biopharma, agriculture, and industrial biotech industries. Jason also previously served as the Chair of the US National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology which oversees how advancements in emerging biotechnology will shape current and future activities of the US Department of Defense. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering all from MIT.

Synopsis: In a conversation rich with strategic insight, Coya Therapeutics CEO Arun Swaminathan unpacks the intersections of scientific innovation, business development discipline, and capital-efficient execution that define today’s most resilient biotechs. With a 25-year foundation spanning R&D, clinical pharmacology, marketing, and BD, Arun offers investors a rare systems-level lens on how neurodegenerative programs progress from hypothesis to value inflection. Through his dialogue with host Alok Tayi, he breaks down Coya’s differentiated Treg-modulating platform and the data emerging across ALS, FTD, and Alzheimer’s. He explains why Coya’s dual-mechanism approach—restoring regulatory T-cell function while reshaping the neuroinflammatory environment—is uniquely poised to change patient trajectories. Arun also delves into the structural logic behind Coya’s partnership with Dr. Reddy’s, demonstrating how complementary strengths in manufacturing, commercialization, and regulatory strategy can dramatically shift both timelines and capital needs. For investors tracking macro trends, he contextualizes shifting interest rates, pipeline gaps, and rising M&A momentum—and why 2026 may mark the beginning of a healthier biotech cycle. A must-listen for anyone evaluating platform durability, risk mitigation strategies, and next-generation neurodegenerative therapeutics. Biography: Arun Swaminathan, Ph.D., has over 20 years of hands-on healthcare business executive experience with an emphasis on corporate and business development, strategy, and finance. He possesses a demonstrated history of prospecting, evaluating, structuring, and closing company validating transactions that augment both organizational and shareholder value. Prior to joining Coya, Arun served as Chief Business Officer (CBO) for Actinium Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: ATNM) where he was responsible for all business development. Within 1 year of joining Actinium, he successfully moved forward negotiations to closure and executed a $452M deal with $35M upfront. Prior to Actinium, he was the CBO at Alteogen (196170.KQ) where he spearheaded over $6B in deals, including deals with two of the top 10 global pharma companies and a $1B+ deal within the first year of assuming the role of CBO. Prior to this, he co-founded and served as CEO of Lynkogen Inc, a pre-clinical stage biotech. Arun began his career in clinical development and commercial roles of increasing responsibility at BristolMyers Squibb and Covance. He obtained his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Pittsburgh.

Abbas Kazimi, CEO of Nimbus Therapeutics, shares insights from his extensive background in biotech. He discusses Nimbus's strategic approach to cultivating a resilient pipeline and the importance of disciplined target selection. Kazimi emphasizes the balance between speed and rigor in a rapidly changing industry. He also reflects on the lessons learned from reviving paused programs, such as the AMPK beta partnership with Eli Lilly, and the company's commitment to a transparent, culture-driven decision-making process.

Synopsis: Jim Tananbaum, Founder & CEO of Foresite Capital, joins Rahul Chaturvedi to dissect the patterns driving biotech innovation, the role of macroeconomic cycles in venture performance, and how disciplined science fuels enduring investment success. Drawing from three decades across entrepreneurship and venture leadership, Jim reflects on his path from co-founding drug discovery startups with Harvard collaborators to building one of the most respected investment firms in life sciences. He unpacks how interest rate environments shape fund vintages, why AI is emerging as the next transformative platform, and how investors can identify enduring opportunities amid volatility. Their discussion spans valuation compression, AI-driven discovery, CNS and Alzheimer’s innovation, and the geopolitical forces influencing biotech globally. Jim’s perspective offers a masterclass in balancing scientific rigor with strategic foresight — and in positioning capital where breakthrough innovation meets sustainable impact. “Lean into areas where there’s likely to be immense change,” Jim advises — a principle as relevant to biotech investing as it is to shaping the future of healthcare itself. Biography: Jim is the founder and CEO of Foresite Capital, a healthcare investment firm founded in 2011 that has approximately $3.5B in assets under management. Jim assembles the people, ideas, and money needed to launch products that save lives and improve healthcare. During the last three decades, Jim has been a thought partner for some of the fastest-growing companies of their generation, including 10x Genomics (Nasdaq: TXG), Amerigroup (Nasdaq: ANTM), and Jazz Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: JAZZ). Jim’s entrepreneurial experience began at Harvard Business School when he co-founded GelTex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:GENZ). With less than $80M in funding, GelTex brought two drugs to market, and the company was acquired in 1999 for $1.4B. Jim was also the founding chief executive of Theravance, Inc. Under his tenure, he raised over $350M. Theravance has since split into two parts, one of which is now part of GSK’s respiratory franchise through a joint venture, Innoviva (Nasdaq: INVA), and the other was spun out into Theravance Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: TBPH). Together, they achieved a market capitalization that exceeded $4B. Jim’s investment experience includes co-founding Prospect Ventures and, earlier in his career, being a partner of Sierra Ventures, where he established its healthcare services investment practice. Jim graduated from Yale with a BS and BSEE in Applied Math and Electrical Engineering/Computer Science. He then earned an MD from Harvard, graduating from the Harvard/MIT HST Program. He also earned an MBA from Harvard while playing rugby.

Synopsis: Host Rahul Chaturvedi sits down with Geoffrey Duyk, Chief Executive Officer of Grove Biopharma, for a wide-ranging conversation on navigating today’s biotech macro headwinds and building companies that can translate breakthrough science into real patient impact. Dr. Duyk traces his journey from Harvard/Millennium/Exelixis operator to TPG investor and back to company creation, explaining how board dynamics, capital cycles, and policy shifts shape execution. They dig into why this cycle feels uniquely tough—patent cliffs, reimbursement uncertainty, NIH pressures—and who funds innovation in the meantime. Duyk outlines root causes of R&D inefficiency (misaligned capital vs. 20-year timelines, shaky preclinical predictability, costly trials, underused real-world data) and makes the case for rebuilding public trust and STEM education. Then, a deep dive on Grove Biopharma: precision polymer science that creates antibody-like, fully synthetic, cell-permeable protein mimetics to tackle historically “intractable” intracellular protein–protein interactions. Duyk shares design principles, why modular/orthogonal chemistry matters, predictable pharmacology, and lessons from fundraising and board management—plus why he’s helping grow a Chicago-centered biotech ecosystem. Biography: Geoffrey M. Duyk, M.D., Ph.D. is the Chief Executive Officer of Grove Biopharma. Dr. Duyk has spent 30 years in the biotechnology industry as an entrepreneur, executive, and investor. Most recently, he was the Managing Partner at Circularis Partners, an investment firm he co-founded, focused on advancing the circular economy and promoting sustainability. Prior to that, Dr. Duyk was Managing Director and Partner at TPG Alternative & Renewable Technologies (ART)/TPG Biotechnology. Before joining TPG, Dr. Duyk served as a board member and President of R&D at Exelixis and was one of the founding scientific staff members at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Vice President of Genomics. Earlier in his career, Dr. Duyk was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and an Assistant Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). While at HMS, he served as a co–principal investigator in the Cooperative Human Linkage Center, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Duyk is a trustee of Case Western Reserve University, where he serves on the executive committee. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of Wesleyan University and the Board of Directors of the Moffitt Cancer Center. He currently serves on the IR&E (Institutional Research and Evaluation) Committee at Moffitt, a key component of its External Advisory Committee (EAC). He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), and served as its treasurer. He is a member of the Life Sciences Advisory Board at Innovatus Capital Partners and the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (DOE). Dr. Duyk previously served on the board of the Jackson Laboratory and on numerous NIH advisory committees. He is currently a Senior Advisor at Qiming Venture Partners (USA) and serves on the boards of Enno DC, Oobli, and Melanyze Dr. Duyk earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University and completed his medical and fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While at UCSF, he was a Lucille P. Markey Fellow and an HHMI postdoctoral fellow. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In this engaging discussion, Michael Metzger, CEO of Syndax Pharmaceuticals and a veteran in biopharmaceuticals, shares insights into their groundbreaking dual drug launches. He elaborates on the strategic in-licensing model that fueled their success and the meticulous due diligence behind choosing the right assets. Metzger also talks about the innovative menin inhibitor Revyforge and CSF1R antibody NICTIMVO, emphasizing their potential in oncology and the importance of pediatric care. His approach to tactical launch operations and data-driven strategies offers a fresh perspective on biotech growth.

In this engaging discussion, Paul Biondi, Managing Partner at Flagship Pioneering, and Uli Stilz, Vice President at Novo Nordisk, delve into innovative co-creation in biotech. Paul outlines Flagship's Pioneering Medicines model, focusing on transforming platform science into groundbreaking therapies. Uli highlights the BioInnovation Hub's role in collaborating on solutions for obesity and diabetes. Together, they explore how building trust and agile partnerships can accelerate R&D, emphasizing a shift towards addressing unmet medical needs.

Synopsis: From stargazing in rural Tennessee to reimagining the future of immune health, Kevin Caldwell’s journey is anything but conventional. In this episode of Biotech2050, Rahul Chaturvedi speaks with the CEO, Co-Founder & President of Ossium Health about how personal experiences with a reactive healthcare system—and a deep curiosity about the universe—sparked a mission to extend human healthspan through regenerative medicine. Kevin shares how Ossium built the first scalable bone marrow bank sourced from deceased organ donors—unlocking a powerful, overlooked source for life-saving cell therapies. He discusses Ossium’s fully integrated model, commercialization strategy, and why rigorous company-building must go hand-in-hand with scientific ambition. The conversation unpacks hard-won lessons from raising $130M+, navigating regulatory pathways, and leading with long-term conviction. A bold vision for transforming cell therapy—and a candid look at the mindset needed to build for impact. Biography: As CEO, Co-Founder & President of Ossium Health, Kevin Caldwell has built Ossium from a small startup into a clinical stage bioengineering company. Mr. Caldwell set the company’s mission to improve human health through bioengineering and designed its platform-based model for cellular therapeutics development. Mr. Caldwell has led the company’s successful pursuit, negotiation, and execution of more than 50 business relationships, including 5 successful fundraisings and dozens of supply partnerships, clinical partnerships, and commercial contracts with biopharmaceutical companies. After seven years of strategic engagement and networking, Mr. Caldwell drove the team to successfully secure a transformative federal contract with BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) that validates Ossium’s innovative approach. This milestone represents the culmination of persistent relationship-building, targeted proposals, and our unwavering commitment to addressing national biomedical challenges through cutting-edge technology and collaborative partnerships. Prior to founding Ossium, Mr. Caldwell served as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey’s San Francisco office where he advised clients in the biotechnology and healthcare sectors. His projects ranged from due diligence of acquisition targets in the biotech startup ecosystem to restructuring distressed biopharma companies. Mr. Caldwell led more than 20 engagements with more than a dozen clients, leading teams that advised clients on revenue growth, go to market strategy, and organizational restructuring. Before McKinsey, Mr. Caldwell served as a Senior Investment Associate at Bridgewater Associates where he did quantitative research for the firm’s global macro investments. Mr. Caldwell studied Physics and Economics at MIT before receiving his JD from Harvard Law School. In addition, he is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and a Fellow of the Leaders in Tech Program.