Synopsis: Paul Lammers, M.D., is the CEO of Triumvira Immunologics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing unique, targeted autologous and allogeneic T cell therapeutics that co-opt the natural biology of T cells to treat a broad range of patients with cancer. A Dutch-trained biologist and physician, Paul talks about starting his career in pharma and some of the commonalities between operating in pharma and biotech. He talks about being a CEO and how his approach to running a company has evolved over the years. He discusses the uncertainty in the market and how that’s informing how the company is approaching development activities. He dives into the fundamental challenges and opportunities within cell therapy and the work Triumvira is doing to treat cancer. Biography: Paul Lammers, MD, MSc, joined Triumvira Immunologics as President and CEO in January 2018. Before Triumvira, Dr. Lammers served as President & CEO at Mirna Therapeutics, for which company he raised $160 million through venture capital and Federal and State government funding, as well as a public listing on NASDAQ. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of US Product Development for EMD Serono. During his early industry tenure, Dr. Lammers also held various executive/senior management positions in clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs, at different pharmaceutical companies, as well as at small public and privately held biotech companies. Dr. Lammers serves as Lead Independent Director for publicly-traded Salarius Pharmaceuticals, and as Director for a private biotech company, Immunomet.

Andrew Scharenberg, CEO of Umoja Biopharma, discusses next-gen immunotherapies for cancer, including in vivo CAR T-cell therapy. He talks about indication selection, team building during the pandemic, and the importance of wearing different hats in biotech. The podcast also explores the challenges in manufacturing CAR-T cells, the future of stem cell-derived cell therapies, and managing complexity in drug development.

Synopsis: Theresa Heah, M.D., is the CEO of Intergalactic Therapeutics. Intergalactic is overcoming the limitations of viral-based gene therapy and developing a best-in-class non-viral alternative. Intergalactic uses synthetic biology and engineered gene circuits to make covalently closed and circular DNA (“C3DNA”) molecules designed to provide a potentially safer and more effective solution for patients. Theresa has over two decades of global drug development and commercial experience. She talks about her choice to focus on ophthalmology, where ophthalmology as a therapeutic area is from a drug development perspective, and some of the opportunities she sees ahead for this space. She discusses the importance of having mentors and the emotional aspects of being a CEO. Finally, she dives into the work Intergalactic is doing, where they are from a company building perspective, and how she thinks about driving more access and scale for gene therapies, given the high cost of development and scalability. Since this podcast was recorded, in July 2023, new data from IG-002, Intergalactic’s lead program, demonstrated persistent ABCA4 expression in non-human primate retinas over six months after a single administration.This data support plans to advance IG-002 into Phase 1 trials in 2024. Biography: Dr. Heah is an accomplished executive who brings over two decades of drug development and commercial experience, focused primarily in gene therapy and ophthalmology. She most recently served as President and Chief Medical Officer at Kriya Therapeutics, where she launched the ophthalmology division, Kriya Ophthalmology, and was responsible for building its AAV gene therapy portfolio strategy and supporting the company’s Series C financing. Prior to joining Kriya, Dr. Heah served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer at AsclepiX Therapeutics, where she led the company’s Series A financing and advancement of its pipeline products into the clinic. Dr. Heah also previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), working to develop gene therapies in ophthalmology and rare diseases. In addition, she has held several leadership positions with increasing responsibility in early-stage private companies (Fovea Pharmaceuticals) and publicly traded companies (Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Bayer Healthcare, Sanofi). Dr. Heah earned her M.D. from Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine, King’s College, University of London, and her Executive Master’s in Business Administration from the European School of Management & Technology (ESMT), Berlin.

Synopsis: Volker Herrmann is the President and CEO of Sonata Therapeutics, a Flagship Pioneering company revolutionizing the world’s understanding of the cellular microenvironment and its importance to human biology and disease. Sonata’s product-platform creates drugs based on a systematic, comprehensive characterization of the microenvironment in diseases with high unmet medical need. Volker discusses the arc of his career, starting with attending medical school in Germany, then training as a cardiologist and clinical pharmacologist before working at Pfizer. He talks about his transition from big pharma to biotech and how his approach to running a biotech has evolved. He discusses the importance of patient impact and how that drives him in this industry. He talks about their work at Sonata to develop therapeutics for cancer and other diseases, and how he thinks about indication selection. Biography: Volker Herrmann is Chief Executive Officer of Sonata Therapeutics and a Flagship Pioneering CEO-Partner. A veteran pharmaceutical and biotech leader, Volker brings more than 20 years of experience in management, commercial development, business development, marketing and strategy to Sonata. Volker was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Inzen Therapeutics, a predecessor to Sonata, after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer at SQZ Biotechnologies. Prior to SQZ, he held various leadership roles at Pfizer, including European Lead CNS/Pain franchise, Global Lead Pain franchise and Head of Global Strategy, Marketing and Commercial Development within Pfizer’s Vaccine Business Unit. Subsequently, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer for Viamet Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for preparing the organization for the launch of its first commercial product as well as streamlining the company’s pipeline. Volker also served as the Chief Operating Officer of Selenity Therapeutics. Volker received his M.D. from Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg in Germany and an MBA from the University of San Diego.

Synopsis: Greg Flesher is the President and CEO of Reneo Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for patients with rare genetic mitochondrial diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Greg discusses beginning his career at Eli Lilly in the mid 1990s and how he approaches being a CEO differently the second time around. He talks about the rare mitochondrial disease landscape and the opportunities and challenges within it. He also dives into patient access for rare diseases and the difficulties around accessing the right patients for late-stage pivotal trials. Finally, he shares how the current environment impacts how he approaches execution against clinical programs and his advice to other leaders navigating the current times. Biography: Greg is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reneo Pharmaceuticals and serves as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Greg brings to Reneo more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in executive management, corporate and business development, operations, sales and marketing, and clinical development. He has been closely involved with several novel development programs resulting in multiple product approvals and successful commercial launches in the U.S. and Europe. Prior to joining Reneo, Greg was Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Novus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NVUS), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company he took public in 2017 and led through the transformational acquisition of Anelixis Therapeutics in 2020. Prior to Novus, Greg was Chief Business Officer of publicly traded Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVNR), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company, where he led corporate and business development as well as corporate operations through the $3.5 billion acquisition of the company by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in 2015. From 1995 to 2006, Greg held multiple leadership roles at Intermune (acquired by Roche), Amgen, and Eli Lilly and Company. Greg received his B.S. in biology from Purdue University and studied biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Synopsis: Adrian Gottschalk is the president and CEO of Foghorn Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of medicines that treat cancers and other serious diseases by correcting abnormal gene expression. Adrian discusses his early beginnings at Biogen before joining Foghorn. He talks about the evolution of his role as CEO at Foghorn, particularly as the company has grown tremendously from a small biotech to a clinical- stage company. He discusses the work his team is pursuing at Foghorn, the overall landscape for therapeutic options in oncology, and what’s changed with our ability to modulate gene expression. He also dives into Foghorn’s pipeline of over 15 different programs and its two major collaborations with Merck and Loxo Lilly Oncology. This interview was recorded in February 2023. Biography: Adrian Gottschalk is president and chief executive officer of Foghorn Therapeutics. An experienced leader in biotech, Adrian is interested in solving complex issues at the intersection of science, medicine, and business on a global scale to help people and families dealing with diseases. Prior to joining Foghorn, Adrian spent 13 years at Biogen, where he was most recently a senior vice president and the neurodegeneration therapeutic area head. In this role, he was responsible for the late-stage development and commercialization of medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). During his time at Biogen, Adrian held additional roles of increasing responsibility ranging from head of corporate strategy, head of global commercial strategy, head of Japan, and head of the Japan, Australia and Emerging Markets geographies. He has also worked as a consultant for Price Waterhouse in Dallas, Texas. He holds a BS in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and received his MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He also holds an ScM degree from the joint Harvard Medical School / MIT Biomedical Enterprise Program, where his graduate work was focused on evaluating the costs and benefits of the Prescription Drug User Fee Acts and improving the efficiency of the drug development process.

Synopsis: Jim Brown is the President and CEO of DURECT Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the treatment of acute organ injuries and chronic liver diseases by advancing novel and potentially lifesaving epigenetic therapies. Jim discusses how his early beginnings as a vet ultimately led him to the biotech industry. He talks about epigenetic regulation and how it ties into the work DURECT is leading. He dives into the unmet need for treatment for chronic liver diseases and how he gets capital markets to understand the potential impact in an area where there isn’t a lot of awareness. He also discusses where the company is from a development perspective, their plans to commercialize, and his advice to other entrepreneurs and leaders as they navigate the inherent risk that’s involved in developing a new therapeutic. Biography: James E. Brown, D.V.M., co-founded DURECT in February 1998 and has served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director since June 1998. He previously worked at ALZA Corporation as Vice President of Biopharmaceutical and Implant Research and Development from June 1995 to June 1998. Prior to that, Dr. Brown held various positions at Syntex Corporation, a pharmaceutical company, including Director of Business Development from May 1994 to May 1995, Director of Joint Ventures for Discovery Research from April 1992 to May 1995, and held a number of positions, including Program Director, for Syntex Research and Development from October 1985 to March 1992. Dr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, where he also conducted postgraduate work in pharmacology and toxicology.

Synopsis: James Peyer, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Cambrian Bio, a clinical-stage drug-development company focused on creating therapies to prevent and cure age-related diseases. James discusses the driving force behind his interest in aging biology and oncology, how his perspective on aging has changed over the years, his entrepreneurial journey, and what he hopes to achieve over the next decade with PipeCos such as Telos, Amplifier, and Tornado. He also discusses the inherent risk involved in drug development, how he manages the emotional aspects, and Cambrian’s vision for the future of drug development. Biography: James Peyer is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Cambrian Bio. He also holds multiple board and executive roles across Cambrian’s pipeline. He has spent his entire life dedicated to the mission of finding ways of preventing people from getting diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s instead of waiting for people to get sick. James was previously Founder and Managing Partner at Apollo Ventures, the first global longevity-focused venture capital firm, investing across the US and Europe. Prior to Apollo, James was a biotech R&D specialist at the New York office of McKinsey & Company, serving major pharmaceutical clients. He earned his PhD in stem cell biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as a National Science Foundation Fellow and received his B.A. with special honors from the University of Chicago. Interested to learn more: Telos: https://www.telosbio.com/ Amplifier: https://www.amplifier-tx.com/ Tornado: https://www.tornado-tx.com/

Synopsis: Gary Lee, Ph.D. is the CSO of Lyell Immunopharma, a T-cell reprogramming company dedicated to developing cell therapies for patients with solid tumors. A chemical engineer by training, Gary has been working in the gene therapy field for 20+ years. He discusses how he’s observed the cell therapy space evolve over the last couple of decades. He talks about the work his team is doing to develop effective cell-based therapies for solid tumor cancers and where they are from a development and team-building perspective. He also provides his perspective on opportunities he sees for future technology across the cell therapy landscape. Biography: Gary Lee, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since January 2022. Dr. Lee is a veteran biotech executive with over a decade of experience leading cell and gene therapy programs for human applications. From October 2018 to January 2022, Dr. Lee was the Chief Scientific Officer at Senti Bio. From August 2005 to October 2018, Dr. Lee held positions of increasing scientific and leadership responsibility at Sangamo Therapeutics, including last as the Vice President of Cell Therapy. Dr. Lee earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Liang Schweizer, Founder & CEO of HiFiBiO Therapeutics, discusses mobilizing the immune system to combat disease. Topics include leveraging technology in drug development, managing globally distributed teams, and the evolution of the Chinese biotech ecosystem.