Biotech 2050 Podcast

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!

Michelle Werner, CEO of Alltrna and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, discusses her transition from R&D to commercial in the biotech industry and the impact of business school. They dive into the potential of tRNA as a treatment modality, recent progress of Alterna, navigating capital markets, and being an authentic leader.

Bernard Coulie, President & CEO of Pliant Therapeutics, discusses his career trajectory and experiences in the pharmaceutical industry, the challenges of developing microbiome-based drugs, and the acquisition of his co-founded company. He reflects on the importance of access to capital, building a strong team, and the differences between the biotech ecosystems in Europe and the US. Additionally, he talks about the challenges of resource allocation in their pipeline review process and their focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as their lead indication.