Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

What are the most interesting questions in biotech, and is it even possible to find answers to those questions?Alex Telford is the co-founder of Convoke and a biotech blogger from the San Francisco Bay Area. His blog post, 'Some questions about biotech that I find interesting' provoked conversations online as readers engaged with questions about topics as diverse as the impacts of regulation, the role of serendipity in drug discovery, clinical trial failure rates, and the best structure for governing large pharmaceutical companies companies.In this episode Alex explains the work he is doing at Convoke before opening the door to his insatiable curiosity about the biotech industry.01:17               Introducing Alex Telford04:28              The business of biotech09:02              Convoke and its mission14:21               ‘Some questions about biotech that I find interesting’16:57               Why founders should be writing and blogging18:44               Generating good questions about biotech20:50              AI and its role in drug discovery26:21               Will AI mean the end of serendipitous drug discovery?28:15               Regulatory challenges for biotech34:17               Is the FDA a net positive or net negative for the industry?36:56              The unanswerable questions in biotech39:00              Digital twins in biotechnology42:15               The next interesting questions in biotechInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: 12 AI drug discovery companies you should know aboutDoes the FDA need to tighten its grip on drug trials in the U.S.?2025 predictions: Which trends are set to shape the biotech industry this year?

When biotechs start fundraising they regularly turn to the venture capital market seeking investment. The pool of VC money can be large, and part of that pool is corporate venture capital. Backed by firms keen to identify the next big thing in biotechnology, corporate VC money can be an attractive way for biotechs to raise funds privately while benefiting from the support and expertise of corporate supporters.This week I talked with Paolo Di Giorgio and Regina Hodits of Angelini Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Angelini Industries, itself the parent company of Angelini Pharma. Paolo and Regina lay out their perspective on the current fundraising landscape, identify the trends and opportunities for innovative biotechs in Europe, and walk me though the biggest threats to the biotech investment market they see on the near horizon.01:15               Introducing Paolo Di Giorgio04:00               Introducing Regine Hodits05:31               The mission of Angelini Ventures09:55               Focus areas and investments in early stage science14:30               The state of venture capital investment in biotech in 202517:48               Why biotechs should favor corporate venture capital20:43               Why networking and expertise matter in fundraising26:05               The therapeutic areas and modalities that are hot right now29:19               Geographic focus for corporate venture capital33:28               Threats on the horizon36:36               What keeps a corporate VC investor up at night?40:13               Keep in touch with Angelini VenturesInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Biotechnology has always been a dynamic domain, but the world of finance that provides the fuel for the fire is just as vibrant. Trying to predict where the market for biotech investment is heading is always risky but for experts like Baker McKenzie’s Roel Meers, understanding where the market is moving is where he eats.I spoke to Roel this week to unpack just where biotech funding stands in Q2 2025, to get a feel for the sorts of M&As, IPOs, and licensing deals we should be looking for in the second half of the year. We also talk about some alternative financing options for innovators and early-stage firms.01:09                      Introducing Roel Meers02:18                     Corporate finance and the life sciences04:53                      Brussels, Europe, and beyond: Baker McKenzie’s global footprint06:21                      Navigating life science regulations and regulators10:33                      De-risking biotech investments in uncertain times11:57                      How investors are minimizing risk in 202513:35                      Funding trends for biotechs in emerging hubs, including Benelux15:58                      The deal types that will dominate 202517:35                      The therapeutic areas where deals are being done19:16                      Trends in biotech in Europe, in North America, and in the Asia-Pacific20:36                      Macroeconomics and biotechnology finance22:54                      De-risking deals by lowering upfronts, increasing milestones26:38                      What to consider when choosing alternative financing options30:35                      When should biotechs bring in outside finance experts33:47                      Looking beyond 2025 – what’s coming, and why36:38                      How European biotechs can position themselves for funding successInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: 2025 biotech funding tracker: recent highlightsThe ABC of biotech startup fundingTop biotech grants and campaigns

Elise de Reus, co-founder of Cradle, brings her passion for biotech and innovative spirit to the forefront. She discusses how generative AI is revolutionizing protein design, making it as user-friendly as 'Photoshop for proteins.' Elise highlights Cradle's platform speeding up R&D processes and aiding major pharma companies in delivering therapies quicker. The conversation also explores applications in animal-free food and sustainable materials, showcasing how AI can not just enhance biopharma but foster eco-friendly solutions.

There are cell therapies, gene therapies, and biologics – and then there is Immusoft. Immusoft sits at the nexus point of some of the most innovative approaches in biopharma, and their Immune System Programming platform is unique in its capacity to address the rare disease, MPS I. This week we talk with Immusoft CEO Sean Ainsworth to learn more about his journey in biotechnology, the work that Immusoft is doing in B-cell reprogramming and unpack some of the positive results that the company recently shared at the WORLD Symposium.01:08                      Early interests in biotechnology03:21                      First experiences in biotech entrepreneurship04:29                      Startup exits and liquidity events07:32                      Influences and mentors08:43                      Immusoft and its mission09:28                      Programming B-cells13:08                      Disease targets14:55                      Encountering and overcoming technical challenges15:53                      MPS I17:38                      Differentiation for MPS I patients19:42                      WORLD Symposium 202520:23                      What’s next in the clinic21:25                      Urgency vs safety 24:26                      At the nexus of cell therapy, gene therapy, and biologics27:20                      Manufacturing, scaling, and funding30:31                      Next on the horizon for ImmusoftInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: Rare Disease Day: seven drugs awaiting approval in 202510 biotech companies making a difference in rare diseases

Flagship Pioneering doesn't go out to find the next big thing in biotech when investing their billions in fund capital - instead, they take a different route.Flagship Pioneering has founded more than 100 companies in the life sciences worth in total an estimated $75 billion. With a proven model for biotech startup success and a culture designed to surface new and interesting ideas, Flagship offers a different approach to biotech funding that is paying off time and again.In this episode I talk with Lovisa Afzelius, a General Partner at Flagship, uncover the ways in which Flagship is shaking up the biotech funding model, and come to understand the reasons why others will have a hard time imitating its success.This episode is brought to you by Jubilant Biosys.01:52                      Meet Lovisa Afzelius03:37                      Learning lessons in big pharma04:56                      From top pharma to startup biotech07:23                      Two different worlds and ways of thinking08:29                      Flagship Pioneering13:39                      Finding the right people18:13                      Deploying capital to create value21:06                      Expanding into new markets21:55                      How does the Flagship model identify disruptors so well?24:20                      Why don’t others emulate the Flagship model?25:36                      Building a culture of ‘yes, and…’27:47                      Learning from the companies that don’t succeed30:49                      Artificial intelligence and biology35:19                      Lessons from business that never found market fit37:29                      The future for Flagship39:55                      The importance of diversity in biotechInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic:The ABC of biotech startup fundingMeet the ‘biotech mafia’: how specialized biotech VC firms are dominating industry funding once again2025 biotech funding tracker: recent highlights

Are TCR-NK treatments the next big thing in cell therapies for cancer patients?As biotechs and pharma companies continue to innovate to address patient needs in oncology, T-cell receptor therapies, or TCR-Ts, are attracting significant interest and investment. There are already some promising results for TCR-Ts tackling solid tumors – but one Norwegian biotech is taking a slightly different track.This week, we sit down with Namir Hassan, CEO of Zelluna, a company with a mission to eliminate solid cancers by pioneering the development of T cell receptor guided natural killer, or TCR-NK, cell therapies.01:45                      Introducing Namir Hassan03:37                      Working at Immunocore04:40                      Lessons learned06:56                      Joining Zelluna as CSO08:44                      Becoming Zelluna CEO10:20                      Taking a biotech company public12:54                      TCR-T and TCR-NK therapies15:30                      Targets for TCR-NK therapies16:38                      Comparing TCR-NK to alternatives20:16                      Early success21:58                      An off-the-shelf-solution for cancer patients24:16                      Manufacturing and scaling25:13                      Partnering with top pharma, accelerating innovation27:05                      Milestones ahead for Zelluna28:52                      The landscape of TCR therapies in oncology31:38                      A final wordInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: Future of cancer treatment: what will therapy look like in 2034?Trends in cancer therapeutics to look forward to in 2025Oncology R&D trends and breakthrough innovations

AI is driving innovation across industries, including biotech, but where is its influence felt most and what opportunities for future impact are emerging?David del Bourgo is the co-founder and CEO of WhiteLab Genomics, an innovative biotech that is leveraging the power of AI to accelerate drug discovery and development from its Paris, Boston, and Montreal bases. In this episode he explains how WhiteLab uses AI technologies to identify targets and engineer vectors, but also offers a wider view of how and where AI is impacting the biotech industry generally.01:04               Introducing David del Bourgo04:06               The WhiteLab Genomics mission10:54               AI in biotech: what’s working now14:07               AI in biotech: emerging applications15:58               Regulating AI in biotech and in general17:21               Acceleration and cost savings thanks to AI19:09               AI’s impact on accuracy and precision21:07               The trade-off with AI in biotech22:38               Why top pharma companies aren’t building their own AI tools24:43               AI and biomanufacturing26:58               AI in biotech and pharma operations28:40               The next impacts of AI in biotech30:38               Accelerating regulatory review with AI32:24               Emerging AI techniques in biotech33:59               The pace of AI innovation35:21               The next challenge for AI in biotech36:10               A word for the AI skeptics Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: 12 AI drug discovery companies you should know aboutThe AI boom in cancer: Game-changer or just hype?Are we in an AI bubble? Biotech AI startups’ value plummet and leads to restructuration

From llamas and camels to humans worldwide. Nanobodies are enjoying success in the clinic and experts are hailing these camelid-derived biologics as one of the next big things in immunotherapy.Kristian Reich is co-founder and CSO of MoonLake Immunotherapeutics. After a long and distinguished career as a clinician and researcher, Kristian helped to launch MoonLake in 2021 and quickly helped move their lead candidate to the clinic. Now, on the verge of Phase III trials, he joins 'Beyond Biotech' to talk nanobodies, innovation, serendipitous science, and the power that comes from never stopping to dream.01:04               Meet Kristian Reich05:26               Excited by the science of nanobodies07:13               MoonLake’s mission13:12               Milestones at MoonLake15:24               Introduction to nanobodies17:55               Serendipitous science19:46               How nanobodies work23:18               Global prevelance of immune conditions24:31               The impact on patients27:09               Nanobodies in the clinic31:19               Manufacturing challenges, regulatory challenges34:04               Working with top pharma35:55               The future of nanobodies37:42               The future of MoonLake39:10               Don’t stop dreamingInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Cell therapies are at the cutting edge of personalized medicine but as demand for these therapies grows, how will the industry scale manufacturing to meet patient needs?Fabian Gerlinghaus is co-founder and CEO of Cellares. He and his team have developed the Cell Shuttle, an advanced cell manufacturing technology that is already demonstrating the potential to 10x cell yields while halving costs for pharmaceuticals companies and innovators. Is this the future for smart cell manufacturing?0:52     A starting point in aeronautical engineering2:43     First steps into biotech5:25     Co-founding Cellares6:30     The problem that Cellares addresses11:02   Best practice bio manufacturing17:14   Differentiation in automation18:15   What does success look like for Cellares19:38   Smart factories21:58   Inside the Cellares smart factory26:34   Manufacturing CAR-T and stem cell therapies27:54   Mass production vs personalized medicine31:39   Global ambitions and regional regulators35:07   Positioning Cellares in the marketInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter