Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

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

Spinal cord injuries impact millions of people worldwide and, unlike many chronic injuries, they usually arrive with no forewarning, impacting the young and old alike.Brian Culley is CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics and his company is now in the clinic with a stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries. Learn why stem cells could be promising for these devastating injuries and how Brian and his team plan to overcome the challenges of manufacturing at scale and succeeding in a highly regulated space.00:57              Meet Brian Culley02:15               Lineage Cell Therapeutics and its mission04:56              Spinal cord injuries06:40              Costs beyond the Individual08:15               Current treatment options10:48               The place for stem cell therapies12:57                Lineage in the clinic16:27                The DOSED program18:37                The advantages of DOSED20:29               Timelines for results21:35               Scaling manufacturing24:28               Partnering with pharma on stem cell therapies26:38               Other applications for stem cell therapies28:49               Mainstreaming stem cell therapies30:52               Challenges ahead32:43               The future for Lineage Cell TherapeuticsInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Mitochondria are famously the powerhouse of the cell, but will mitochondrial therapeutics power the next big mainstream medical breakthrough?Klaus Dugi is CEO of Vandria, a biotech that develops mitophagy inducers that rejuvenate cells to treat age-related and chronic diseases. He joins 'Beyond Biotech' to talk cell mitophagy, biotech agility, and innovation in tackling neurodegenerative disease.00:42    Introducing Klaus Dugi02:51    Lessons learned in top pharma05:10    The gap that Vandria seeks to fill06:21    Mitochondrial therapeutics07:45    Mitophagy inducers and how they work14:53    Comparing approaches to treating neurodegenerative diseases17:20    Aging, longevity, and healthy life years25:26    Challenges ahead27:31    Performance enhancement and resilience31:15    Towards the mainstream?34:35    Looking forward for Vandria36:02    Developments to watch out for in mitochondrial therapeuticsInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Regeneration Biomedical has developed a new technique to address neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's using stem cell therapy.Dr. Christopher Duma, has long been an innovator in neurosurgery using a gamma knife radiosurgery to treat glioblastoma. Now with Regeneration Biomedical, Duma is taking on neurodegenerative diseases with a first-in-human clinical trial where a patient's own stem cells are injected directly into their brain.On the podcast this week, we talk with Duma about his career in neurosurgery, the impetus for launching his biotech, the promise of stem cell therapy, and the challenges innovators face moving new therapies through the clinic.00:38    Introducing Dr Christopher Duma02:44    Advances and breakthroughs in neurosurgery05:33    The vision and impetus for Regeneration Biomedical10:45    Regeneration Biomedical’s R&D pipeline14:12    Milestones ahead14:46    Advancing beyond Alzheimer’s Disease15:52    Stems cells from fat cells19:42    Bypassing the blood-brain barrier22:45    Patient recruitment24:13    The treatment process27:10    The state of stem cell research in the US29:29    The challenge of financing innovative research32:15    Global stem cell research landscape33:14    Controversy in stem cell research34:00    Future horizons for Regeneration Biomedical37:23    Partnering with top pharma companies37:48    Advice for researchers and entrepreneursInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter Learn more about the latest research in Alzheimer's disease treatment! 

We’re taking a short break this week and, while we’re away, we invite you to enjoy one of our favorite episodes. We will return with a brand-new episode next week!Immunai is mapping the immune system at unprecedented scale and granularity. The map, paired with machine learning, looks at how the immune system will respond to drug targets, offering an affordable way to prevent expensive drug failures. The ultimate goal is to market immune treatments for diseases like cancer faster than ever before. In this week’s conversation, Noam Solomon, CEO and co-founder of Immunai, covers the data gap in drug discovery and how machine learning (ML) can solve it, how to de-risk early-stage drug discovery, predictions for AI, and more.00:49-01:13: About Immunai01:13-01:45: Why map the immune system?01:45-02:44: Are you taking a step back to study the problem in order to move forward?02:44-03:49: How difficult is it to map the immune system?03:49-05:29: What is your AMICA platform?05:29-07:24: Where does your data come from?07:24-09:09: How do you account for differences between patients?09:09-11:35: What are the biggest challenges to drug development?11:35-14:07: How can AI improve drug development?14:07-14:55: Will AI advances speed up drug development?14:55-16:06: Is the use of AI applicable in all diseases and conditions?16:06-17:48: What sets your approach apart from other companies using AI?17:48-18:54: What partnerships does Immunai have?18:54-20:24: What are pharma companies looking for from Immunai?20:24-23:17: How can AI help with clinical trials?23:17-24:32: Can AI help with preventative care?24:32-26:30: Google Maps for the immune system26:30-27:18: What will we see from AI in drug discovery in the short term?27:18-28:06: What are the next steps for Immunai?Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter

Sweden's fastest growing private biotech, Anocca, is making plans for clinical trials in pancreatic cancer, with the TCR-T cell therapy trials called VIDAR-1.The CEO, Reagan Jarvis, when a researcher, pitched the company idea to a leading Swedish industrialist, who became co-founder, and provided the initial financing. The company has raised more than €100m to date.On the podcast this week, we have a conversation with Jarvis about TCR-T cell therapies, creating off-the-shelf products and partnerships with EmendoBio and Shinobi Therapeutics.00:43-02:10: About Anocca 02:10-04:16: About TCR-T cell therapies and their use in treatments04:16-06:02: Anocca’s approach to T-cell biology, cutting-edge biotechnologies and integrated software06:02-07:58: A different approach to other cell and gene therapy companies07:58-09:16: Facing challenges09:16-10:48: Addressing conditions and diseases10:48-11:54: Pancreatic cancer11:54-13:40: What represents success for Anocca?13:40-14:09: What is VIDAR-1?14:09-16:08: Partnerships16:08-18:05: Scaling up and addressing costs18:05-20:07: How is TCR-T therapy evolving?20:07-23:11: The impact of artificial intelligence23:11-25:16: Anocca timeline25:16-25:57: Closing comments  `Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter