Synopsis: Sean Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., is the President and CEO of Olema Oncology, a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative targeted therapies for women’s cancers. We’re excited to welcome Sean back to the podcast – he last appeared on episode 130 in late 2022. Sean provides an update on all the exciting things that have happened at Olema since then, including an update on their lead product candidate. Sean reflects on navigating the challenging biotech market environment over the past year, making careful spending decisions, and raising significant capital to extend Olema’s runway. He also offers advice to first-time CEOs on building a strong support network to guide company growth. Biography: Dr. Bohen has served as Chief Executive Officer of Olema Oncology and a member of the Board of Directors since September 2020. He is also a non-executive director of Gyroscope Therapeutics, Ltd. and AltruBio, Inc. He has extensive oncology drug development experience, having served as Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development, and Chief Medical Officer at AstraZeneca PLC. Before that, he held a number of senior leadership roles at Genentech, Inc., including Senior Vice President, Early Development, Genentech Research and Early Development. Prior to Genentech, he was a Clinical Instructor in Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine; a research associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Bohen received a B.S. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and biophysics and an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco.

Synopsis: Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., is the President and CEO of Kura Oncology, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. Troy talks about his experiences being a CEO and the differences in responsibility between being a CEO and a board member. He also shares what it takes to have a productive board for a biotech company. He discusses recruiting at both the team level and the board level and the qualities that he looks for in a candidate. He shares where he thinks cancer drug development is headed, where it needs to head and where he thinks there’s unmet need. Finally, he talks about the work they’re pursuing at Kura and where they are from a development perspective. Biography: Troy E. Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., is one of Kura’s Co-founders and has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as the Chairman of our Board of Directors since our inception in August 2014. Previously, Dr. Wilson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, and its parent company Araxes Pharma LLC from July 2012 to March 2019 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, from November 2012 to February 2019. Dr. Wilson served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Intellikine, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, from April 2007 to January 2012 and from August 2007 to January 2012, respectively, until its acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Puma Biotechnology, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, since October 2013, Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, since February 2019 and November 2012, respectively, Executive Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of Wellspring Biosciences since February 2019 and July 2012, respectively, and a member of the Board of Managers of Araxes Pharma LLC since July 2012. Dr. Wilson holds a J.D. from New York University and graduated with a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry and a B.A. in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Keith Gottesdiener, President & CEO, and Jeremy Duffield, CSO, of Prime Medicine, discuss their career journeys, differences between big pharma and biotech, pursuing curative treatments using gene editing, building a motivated team at Prime Medicine, and advice for young biotech professionals.

Brett Hall, CSO of Immuneering, talks about military experience influencing drug development. He discusses the use of AI in predicting protein interactions and the pros and cons of being a private or public company. The likelihood of repealing pharmaceutical provisions and concerns for the next generation of scientists are also explored.

Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, President and CEO of Vigil Neuroscience, discusses the evolution of her role at the company, the importance of diversity in leadership, and the challenges and opportunities in precision-based neurology. She also shares insights on building a strong team and culture, the potential of microglia biology, and the importance of patient-centricity in the biotech sector.

Bobak Azamian, CEO and Chairman of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, talks about revolutionizing eyecare treatment. He discusses unmet needs and patient focus, future indications they're pursuing, and leveraging learnings from previous programs. He also shares the challenges of going public during the pandemic. The podcast covers their recent product approval and the impact it had on the team, their approach to treating Blevveritis, preparing for commercialization, and the changes and challenges of leading a commercial stage company.

Nima Farzan, CEO of Kinnate Biopharma, discusses his journey in the biotech industry and the challenges of growing a company during a pandemic. He explores the evolution of genomics and the surprises it has brought. Additionally, he talks about indication selection and the importance of diversity and immigrant perspectives in team building and leadership. Finally, he highlights the emotional aspects of being a CEO in the biotech industry and the value of confidence and a fixed vision.

Synopsis: Mark Litton, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of Athira Pharma, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecules to restore neuronal health and slow neurodegeneration for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and more. Mark talks about being a CEO for the first time and what he’s learned. He discusses how the biotech ecosystem and its ability to raise capital for companies has changed over the last couple of years and how that’s informing how he’s operating at Athira. He talks about fundraising strategy and how he communicates with team members who perhaps haven’t been involved in fundraising cycles and value creation at biotech before. Finally, he shares how he thinks about business development and his approach to partnerships. Biography: Mark is President and CEO of Athira Pharma, a position he has held since October 2021. Previously, he served as Athira’s COO since July 2019. Prior to joining Athira, Mark served as the President and COO of Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc. Prior to that he spent more than 14 years at Alder Biopharmaceutical Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, which was acquired by Lundbeck A/S. As co-founder and CBO, Mark helped build the business and oversaw finance, investor relations, deal making, business development, alliance management, human resources, and overall corporate strategy. While at Alder, Mark was directly responsible for raising over ~$1B in equity capital and led negotiations for numerous corporate alliances between biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Mark has a PhD in immunology from Stockholm University, an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz.

Ram Aiyar, President & CEO of Korro Bio, discusses his experience as a founder and CEO, the evolution of fundraising, and the field of RNA editing. He shares the company's vision of making base changes on RNA to address medical needs. The hosts reflect on their experiences and offer advice for success in biotech.

Seemay Chou, Co-Founder & CEO of Arcadia Science, shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship and the unique model of Arcadia. They discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in life sciences, advancements in technology, automation, and the future of publishing. It's an exciting time to work at Arcadia!