Base to Base Biotech

This week, we have two interviews again. We talk about treating high blood pressure with CEO of George Medicines, Mark Mallon, and have a conversation with Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, about the field of radiotherapeutics.Blood pressureNearly half of US adults have high blood pressure and despite all the treatments already available, three in four remain uncontrolled. This is often because the traditional stepwise treatment approach stalls before reaching target blood pressure.George Medicines believes its solution could help millions of patients achieve better outcomes, faster.The company has developed the first and only triple combination pill for the initial treatment of high blood pressure. It’s available in unique low dose options, offering the power of combination therapy, with good tolerability, in a single pill — a paradigm shift in hypertension care. This drug is the first to be approved for use right at the start of treatment.The company is a spinout from the George Institute for Global Health in Australia.RadiopharmaceuticalsRadiopharmaceuticals sit at the intersection of nuclear medicine and precision therapy, offering a way to deliver radiation directly to tumours while sparing healthy tissue.The next wave of oncology innovation is changing how we think about cancer therapy, but it comes with unique challenges—from isotope supply and manufacturing logistics to regulatory navigation and the race to harness rare isotopes like actinium-225.Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, are leaders in this space, and they are our guests on the podcast today. Their company is developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals using proprietary platforms (Trillium and Macropa) designed to enhance tumour targeting and drug design.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have two interviews. We chat with Step Pharma CEO, Andy Parker, and also have a conversation with Re-Vana CEO, Michael O’Rourke.Ocular therapeuticsRe-Vana Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced a $1bn+ deal to develop long-acting ophthalmic therapies.Re-Vana Therapeutics is a privately held, US and UK based developer of ocular therapeutics and innovative ocular drug delivery technologies which spun out of Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland.Terms of the deal include up to three development programmes per year leading to a potential total deal value exceeding $1bn contingent on milestone achievements. The agreement grants Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity, and provide for upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana.Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release slowly over six to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce injection frequency.Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.Re-Vana’s is developing internal assets - a six-month sustained release aflibercept and a six-month bispecific – both photo-crosslinked, bio erodible and delivered in the clinic with no surgery.Step Pharma takes on CTPS1Step Pharma is taking a smart and focused approach to tackling cancers and blood disorders by targeting an enzyme called CTPS1, which plays a key role in how cells produce the building blocks of DNA and RNA.The idea is simple but powerful: Cancer cells and certain immune cells rely heavily on CTPS1 to grow and survive. By selectively blocking this enzyme, Step’s lead candidate, dencatistat, deprives malignant cells of the raw materials they need to divide, while healthy cells are largely unaffected because they can fall back on a related enzyme called CTPS2. This selectivity is what makes the approach potentially safer and more effective than broader chemotherapy.They have been moving quickly, expanding beyond blood cancers into solid tumours and a rare condition called essential thrombocythaemia, which causes overproduction of platelets.We spoke with the company’s CEO, Andy Parker, about the work the company is doing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have two interviews: one to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, on osteosarcoma with Paul Romness from OS Therapies; and IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, talking about ovarian cancer, immunotherapy, covid, and more.Interview times:02:33 OS Therapies23:03 IMUNONChallenging osteosarcomaOS Therapies is a clinical stage oncology company focused on the identification, development, and commercialisation of treatments for osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumours. OST-HER2, the company's lead asset, is an immunotherapy leveraging the immune-stimulatory effects of Listeria bacteria to initiate a strong immune response targeting the HER2 protein.OST-HER2 has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Fast-Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency.The company reported positive data in its phase 2b clinical trial of OST-HER2 in recurrent, fully resected, lung metastatic osteosarcoma, demonstrating statistically significant benefit in the 12-month event free survival (EFS) primary endpoint of the study.Ovarian cancer, immunotherapy and moreIMUNON has two DNA-based technology platforms: TheraPlas and PlaCCine. They are designed to use DNA as a therapeutic to code for proteins, which the body can then use to produce medicine where needed.TheraPlas is designed to harness interleukin-12 (IL-12), a powerful cytokine and well-validated target for cancer immunotherapy, to teach the body’s immune system to fight cancer at the tumour site.PlaCCine is designed to prompt the body’s immune system to create a vaccine response against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 without needing a virus or device to deliver it.IMUNON recently announced positive phase 2 data of its IL-12 immunotherapy (IMNN-001) based on TheraPlas technology in advanced ovarian cancer and is currently initiating a phase 3 trial.Recent phase 1 data of its DNA-based vaccine (IMNN-101) leveraging PlaCCine technology in treatment of COVID-19 indicate that it may be a viable alternative to mRNA vaccines and able to target the Omicron variant as well as any emerging variants in the future, while offering advantages in terms of manufacturing and storage.We spoke with IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, about the work the company is doing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have three interviews to mark Stand Up To Cancer Day. We have conversations with Simon Kerry, co-founder and CEO of Curve Therapeutics; Poolbeg Pharma CEO Jeremy Skillington; and Stefano Gulla, CSO of Kling Biotherapeutics.Interview times:03:12 Curve Therapeutics21:32 Kling Bio37:10 Poolbeg PharmaMicrocycles to address cancerCurve Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company using its gene-encoded Microcycle discovery platform to build a pipeline of innovative cyclic peptide and small molecule drugs to address high priority intracellular disease targets, with an initial focus on cancer, immunology, and inflammation.Addressing cancer treatment side effectsPoolbeg Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focussed on the development of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs.The company's clinical programmes target large addressable markets including, cancer immunotherapy-induced cytokine release syndrome and metabolic conditions such as obesity with the development of an oral encapsulated glucagon-like peptide GLP-1R agonist.The role of B-cells in beating cancerKling Biotherapeutics is a biotech company developing antibody-based drugs for cancer and infectious diseases.Through its proprietary primary B-cell platform technologies, the company combines high-efficiency B-cell immortalization with functional, antibody-first screening to uncover novel antibody–antigen pairs.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have an in-depth conversation on molecular glue degradation, with Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ chief data and information officer John Castle.Interview time:03:52 Monte Rosa TherapeuticsMolecular glue degradationA recent cover article in Science showcased research that expands by more than 1,000 the number of therapeutic targets (including undruggables) accessible through a protein degradation approach known as molecular glue degradation.Using proprietary AI and ML approaches, researchers from Monte Rosa Therapeutics used algorithms to identify more than 1,600 human proteins predicted to be compatible with cereblon (a protein with a central role in cellular protein degradation) binding.This allowed them to fingerprint previously unrecognised surfaces capable of recruiting cereblon for targeted protein degradation. These proteins represent more than 100 different target classes and a broad range of protein domains.The techniques and know-how that enabled these discoveries will substantially expand the scope of disease-associated proteins their platform can address, including many targets historically considered undruggable. Their pipeline is proof they can address these undruggable targets, which has been the long-heralded promise of protein degradation.Molecular glue degraders (MGD) are a type of protein degrader but have additional beneficial properties and the potential to treat many diseases that other modalities, including other degraders, cannot.They are a class of small molecules that promote the degradation of specific proteins by "gluing" them to E3 ubiquitin ligases, leading to their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we look at Herantis Pharma's work on Parkinson's disease, with the company's CEO, Antti Vuolanto, and we have an in-depth look at the recent cuts to mRNA vaccine projects, with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University.Interview times:03:22 Herantis16:28 mRNA cutsCuts to mRNA vaccine projectsThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a major shift in its vaccine development priorities, initiating a “co‑ordinated wind‑down” of mRNA vaccine projects under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The move cancels or scales back 22 contracts worth nearly $500m, affecting research partnerships with universities, biotech firms, and major pharmaceutical companies.The cuts have sparked concern among scientists and public health experts, who note that mRNA technology was pivotal in the rapid development of COVID‑19 vaccines and has potential applications far beyond the pandemic. Critics warn that ending federal support could slow innovation in areas such as pandemic preparedness, cancer immunotherapy, and treatments for emerging infectious diseases. While some late‑stage contracts will be allowed to conclude to preserve prior taxpayer investment, no new mRNA‑based projects will be initiated under BARDA. The decision marks a significant re‑alignment of US vaccine R&D strategy, with future BARDA funding expected to focus on whole‑virus vaccines and other platforms with longer safety track records.We have a wide-ranging discussion with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University, about the effect of the cuts.Herantis takes on Parkinson’s diseaseHerantis Pharma is a Finnish clinical-stage biotech developing disease-modifying therapies to stop Parkinson’s disease.Its lead product HER-096, a first-in-class, subcutaneously administered therapy designed to stop—and potentially reverse—the progression of PD, with brain penetration already demonstrated. It is in the clinic (phase 1b) in PD patients which is also evaluating selected biomarkers to identify novel treatment response biomarkers and monitor symptoms in patients – topline data is expected in September.Herantis is among a limited group of companies worldwide that are preparing for Phase 2 clinical trials with a drug candidate designed to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.HER-096 is a small peptide with a multi-modal MOA that targets key drivers of neurodegeneration: cell stress, protein misfolding, and inflammation, while achieving excellent brain penetration.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs. We also chat with Fibrobiologics’ CEO Pete O'Heeron about fibroblast spheroid technology.Interview times:03:49 FibroBiologics21:26 SciYSciY on the path to digitalisationThis week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs.SciY offers a vendor-agnostic digitalisation platform and a wide range of software solutions for research, development, and manufacturing, enabling workflow integration, automation, digital transformation, and AI readiness.SciY solutions integrate scientific instruments and automation hardware with their scientific data into a digital environment. Data is ingested, standardised, reused, and preserved according to the FAIR data principles, delivering maximum value with minimal effort and disruption.FibroBiologics and fibroblast spheroid technologyBased in Houston, Texas, FibroBiologics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments and seeking potential cures for chronic diseases using fibroblast cells and fibroblast-derived materials.FibroBiologics holds more than 275 US and international patents/patents pending across various clinical pathways, including wound healing, multiple sclerosis, disc degeneration, psoriasis, orthopedics, human longevity, and cancer.The company is looking to create the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy and tissue regeneration.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we talk about new treatments for wet dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics, and there’s a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp Farma about, among other things, peanut allergies.Interview times: 03:24 PulseSight 20:43 InnoUpTackling dry AMDPulseSight Therapeutics SAS, an ophthalmology biotech company developing non-viral vectorised therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology, recently announced the first patient has been successfully dosed in its phase I clinical trial (PST-611-CT1) aiming to assess safety and tolerability of its lead programme, PST-611, in humans.PST-611 is a first-in-class non-viral vectorized therapy for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/geographic atrophy (GA), expressing human transferrin, a highly potent iron regulator, playing a central role in restoring normal iron homeostasis.AMD is the leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly, affecting 200m people worldwide. AMD's pathogenesis is complex, and the disease still represents a high unmet medical need. Dry AMD involves the dysregulation of iron homeostasis, leading to an excess of free iron causing highly toxic effects such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and ultimately retinal cell death (ferroptosis).PST-611-CT1 is a first-in-human single ascending dose study that aims to establish, in six to a maximum of 12 dry AMD/GA patients, the safety profile of the drug and validate the maximal tolerated dose in view of the following phase IIa proof-of-concept trial. Preliminary results are anticipated early 2026, subject to patient recruitment.Our conversation is with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics.New ways to treat peanut allergiesInnoUp is a clinical stage company specialising in nanotechnology innovations and developing oral drug delivery solutions. It has developed a Nanoparticle Platform that is protected by international patents.InnoUp has two programmes currently in the clinical stage: an oral peanut allergy vaccine (INP20) and an oral Paclitaxel to treat breast cancer (INP12).We have a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we talk about drug discovery with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix Inc., and Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA. Interview times: 03:53 Elix 20:58 CytoAgentsElix drug discovery platformAI drug discovery company Elix, Inc. and the Life Intelligence Consortium (LINC) have announced that for the first time in the world, an AI drug discovery platform has been commercialized that incorporates multiple AI models trained using federated learning on data provided by 16 pharmaceutical companies.The key to AI drug discovery lies in high-quality and sufficiently large datasets. Diverse and abundant data are indispensable for building superior AI models; however, pharmaceutical companies are generally limited to utilizing their own proprietary data and public datasets, resulting in significant data shortages that have posed major challenges to progress.Federated learning technology provides a solution to this challenge. Elix, in partnership with the Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, developed the federated learning library kMoL, enabling multiple companies to collaboratively develop a suite of AI models without disclosing their confidential data externally. Sixteen pharmaceutical companies participated in building these learning-based models, which are now implemented on Elix Discovery, Elix’s proprietary AI drug discovery platform.By introducing Elix Discovery, users can leverage these newly developed models, and several pharmaceutical companies have already adopted the platform. The initiative marks the world’s first commercialisation of an AI drug discovery platform in partnership with numerous pharmaceutical companies utilising federated learning.Our conversation is with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix.CAR-T, CRS and the FDAFDA Commissioner Marty Makary marked his first 100 days with a media tour and series of “bold” announcements.One was that the FDA has eliminated the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for six CAR T-cell (CART) immunotherapies, citing growing evidence that the treatments can be safely managed without additional regulatory oversight.While many support this decision since it has the potential to broaden the use of CART therapies, the black box warning for the risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities remains. CRS continues to have a massive impact on patients and poses a threat to widespread uptake of CART therapy. CRS develops in up to 95% of cancer patients treated with CART therapies and up to 50% of those patients are at risk of developing Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) leading to extended hospital stays, inability for systems to onboard additional patients, and significant expense to care for these patients.CytoAgents is a company focused on the development of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening symptoms associated with CRS.We have a conversation with Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA announcement. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, our conversations are with Wenyan Leong, director of APAC commercial and global strategic partnerships for cell and gene therapies at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, and Morten Graugaard, CEO of Orbis Medicines.Interview times: 04:01 Terumo BCT 24:52 Orbis MedicinesTerumo Blood and Cell Technologies shows integrated 3-in-1 CAR-T workflow with quantum platformTerumo Blood and Cell Technologies, (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, recently published a new protocol in a paper demonstrating expanded capabilities for its quantum system to unlock rapid CAR-T cell expansion.The protocol consolidates the processes of T cell activation, lentiviral vector transduction and expansion of CAR-T cells in a single Quantum system, simplifying procedures that have been highly variable and dependent on a skilled workforce. The protocol demonstrated enhancement in manufacturing efficiency, with a two-fold increase in transduction efficiency over manual culture and the ability to consistently produce more than 12bn CAR-T cells in 7 to 8 days.Terumo BCT’s products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Its customers include blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell collection and processing organisations, researchers and private medical practices.Orbis pushes macrocycles to the foreMorten Graugaard, formerly a partner at Novo Holdings, is now CEO of Orbis Medicines.Orbis combines big data, AI and a big vision of making a class of molecules, macrocycles, reliably designable for the first time.The company launched last year and closed a Series A for a total of €116m in funding so far to usher in a new era of macrocycle drug development.To date, discovery of macrocycles, a class of cyclic peptides, has yielded transformative drugs but the complexity and diversity of these molecules have thwarted attempts at designing them from scratch. To overcome this challenge, Orbis' technology generates and tests vast numbers of macrocycle permutations with incredible speed, generating huge data sets that are fed into AI as real-life training data.Orbis' computational tools sift the data to find needles in an infinite haystack – macrocycles of the perfect size and structure to do the job of injectable drugs – but in the form of a pill. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week’s podcast is sponsored by Nipro.This week, our conversations are with Jesus Garcia, Nipro Product Manager Water Treatment, on Nipro ’s recently-launched product LiniXia, a reverse osmosis (RO) system that ensures safe and pure water for every dialysis session, and on the future of biologics manufacturing with cell-free protein synthesis with LenioBio CEO André Goerke.Interview times:05:16 Nipro 15:52 LenioBioNIPRONipro Medical Europe is part of Nipro Corporation Japan, a leading global healthcare company established in 1954. With over 40.000 employees worldwide, Nipro serves the Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, and Pharmaceutical Packaging industries.Nipro Medical Europe is a global market leader offering a comprehensive portfolio of medical disposables and machines across six divisions: Renal, Hospital Products, Diabetes, Cardiopulmonary, Enzymes, and In Vitro Diagnostics.With a worldwide footprint of manufacturing sites, sales offices, and distribution centres, NIPRO Medical Europe services the EMEA region. From hospitals to home care, Nipro provides products that improve the lives of patients and meet the needs of healthcare professionals and procurement managers alike.Nipro recently launched LiniXia, its new Reverse Osmosis (RO) system that reliably ensures safe and pure water for every dialysis session.With LiniXia, Nipro has added an entire range of water treatment solutions to its renal care portfolio, combining innovative RO technology with user-friendly controls, detailed logs, and remote supervision capabilities, all while ensuring up to 90% yield of high quality ultra-pure water.Visit http://www.nipro-group.com/renal-care for more information.Our conversation is with Jesus Garcia, Nipro Product Manager Water Treatment.LenioBioLenioBio GmbH is a life sciences biotech company dedicated to transforming protein production through its proprietary ALiCE technology.By eliminating the limitations and bottlenecks of traditional cell-based systems, LenioBio empowers researchers to explore new frontiers in protein expression and accelerate the development of cutting-edge therapeutics and diagnostics.ALiCE was launched earlier this year. It is the first eukaryotic cell-free expression platform specifically engineered for rapid antibody discovery and screening. By offering an end-to-end service covering DNA template generation, lead generation, purification and analysis, this new solution slashes production timelines from four weeks to as little as three days.We had a conversation on ALiCE and the future of biologics manufacturing with cell-free protein synthesis with LenioBio CEO André Goerke.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Eduardo Bravo, CEO of Citryll, and Dermot Tierney, COO of AMPLY Discovery.Interview times:02:53 Citryll21:56 AMPLY DiscoveryCitryllCitryll’s recent Series B financing of €85m at the end of last year is helping to advance its first-in-class therapy targeting neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).Discovered in 2004, NETs are web-like structures released by white blood cells that are now understood to be fundamental drivers of inflammation - yet they've never been successfully targeted therapeutically.Three major strategic investors are backing this novel biological approach, suggesting potential for a new therapeutic class. Following phase 1 completion, Citryll is advancing into Phase 2a trials in both rheumatoid arthritis and hidradenitis suppurativa.We spoke with Bravo about the implications of targeting this newly understood biological pathway and the potential market impact.AMPLY DiscoveryAMPLY Discovery is an AI company finding nature's own solutions to drug-resistant infections.Dermot Tierney is COO of AMPLY Discovery, a Queen's University Belfast spinout that's taken a different approach to the AMR crisis. Instead of trying to design new antimicrobials from scratch, they're using AI to discover what evolution already perfected over millions of years.The AMPLY platform connects the digital biological biome to high volume peptide, protein and RNAi extraction technology to unlock a new frontier in drug discovery.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, our subjects are a silica nanoparticle gene delivery system in a conversation with Nigel Theobald, CEO of N4 Pharma, and a point-of-care diagnostics system for urinary tract infections developed by Welsh company Llusern Scientific. We spoke with the company's co-founder and CEO, Dr Emma Hayhurst.Interview times:03:00 N4 Pharma 24:45 Llusern ScientificN4 PharmaN4 Pharma is a UK biotech company developing a silica nanoparticle gene delivery system called Nuvec.Nuvec is being used to enable advanced therapies for cancer and other diseases. N4 Pharma has developed a pre-clinical RNA therapeutic, N4 101, which is a patient-friendly orally delivered inflammation inhibitor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using Nuvec.N4 Pharma announced positive results from its first in vivo study, which explored the therapeutic potential of orally administered Nuvec particles loaded with siRNA alone and combined with mRNA.We had a conversation with Nigel Theobald, CEO of N4 Pharma, about the company and its work.Llusern ScientificLlusern Scientific is a treatment-directing molecular diagnostics company, developing fast, accurate, and accessible tools to guide real-time clinical decision-making at the point-of-care.Its solution, Lodestar DX, is a portable diagnostic device that delivers lab-accurate results for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in around half an hour.As well as providing guidance on the best treatment option based on the specific microbial infection, Lodestar DX also provides a clear ‘rule-out’ decision where antibiotics are not necessary, helping to reduce antimicrobial resistance through antibiotic stewardship.Our guest on the podcast is Llusern Scientific co-founder and CEO, Dr Emma Hayhurst.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Sean MacDonald, CEO of Domain Therapeutics, Carina Kern, CEO and founder of LinkGevity, and Nadia Harhen, general manager of AI Simulation at SandboxAQ. Interview times:03:41 Domain Therapeutics 27:14 SandboxAQ48:04 LinkGevityDomain TherapeuticsDomain Therapeutics is delivering breakthrough GPCR-targeting therapies in immuno-oncology and inflammation.Domain recently shared first-in-human results for EP4 antagonist DT-9081 (tumour-growth inhibition + clear RP2D), new pre-clinical detail on Treg-depleting anti-CCR8 mAb DT-7012, and breakthrough findings showing their PAR2 biased NAM can re-programme macrophages and restore checkpoint-blockade sensitivity.The highly differentiated and competitive properties of DT-7012 differentiate it from other clinical anti-CCR8 candidates, positioning it as a promising therapeutic solution to overcome immune evasion mechanisms and enhance anti-tumour immune responses in solid tumours. These preclinical findings support the advancement of DT-7012 into phase I/II trials, anticipated to start in 2025.We had a conversation with Domain’s CEO, Sean MacDonald.SandboxAQSandboxAQ, which recently raised $150m from top investors including Google, NVIDIA, Ray Dalio, Eric Schmidt, and others, is pioneering the fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum (AQ) to accelerate breakthroughs in biopharma and biosimulation.Its solutions are already being applied to accelerate drug discovery through AI-driven molecule screening; predict protein folding and interactions using quantum-inspired models; optimise clinical trial design and biomarker discovery; and secure sensitive health data and infrastructure with post-quantum cryptography.We spoke with Nadia Harhen, general manager of AI Simulation at SandboxAQ.LinkGevityLinkGevity, an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on the treatment of aging and age-related diseases, recently announced its contribution to the publication of a paper in Springer Nature’s Oncogene, “Necrosis as a fundamental driver of loss of resilience and biological decline: What if we could intervene?”The paper is a collaboration by clinicians and scientists from institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Mass General Brigham, NASA Space-Health programme, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of South Wales (USW), University College London’s Medical School and the European Space Agency.The authors explain how necrosis, a form of cell death historically viewed as an unregulated and terminal event, may be one of the most fundamental and targetable mechanisms driving human aging and age-related disease. The paper brings together evidence from cancer biology, regenerative medicine, kidney disease, and space health to make the case that necrosis is more than a biological endpoint: it may be the crux of how cells and tissues fail as people age.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Phil L'Huillier, CEO of Scancell, and Shai Melcer, head of Israel’s National Bio-Convergence Program.Interview times:03:25 Scancell 28:04 National Bio-Convergence ProgramScancellScancell recently announced a partnership with the UK’s NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, enabling fast-tracked access for melanoma patients.The company’s DNA off-the-shelf cancer vaccine (iSCIB1+) is addressing a critical unmet need in advanced metastatic melanoma. It is currently in phase 2 clinical development with the next key data read outs expected in the middle of this year. Initial phase 2 clinical data showed compelling efficacy: 80% progression free survival in 25 patients at six months with 20% achieving a complete response.iSCIB1+ activates a strong and safe lasting immune response in patients and is setting a new benchmark in the treatment of advanced melanoma. It offers faster, more cost-effective and conveniently administered therapies, bringing targeted cancer treatments within reach for more patients.In addition, Modi-1, Scancell’s innovative peptide cancer vaccine, is another key programme. The company saw promising early results from the ModiFY phase 1/2 clinical study. The second stage of the trial is ongoing, with further data readouts expected in H2 2025.We spoke with Scancell’s CEO, Phil L'Huillier.Israel’s National Bio-Convergence ProgramOur second conversation is with Shai Melcer, head of Israel’s National Bio-Convergence Program. Bio-convergence is an emerging cutting-edge field that combines biology with engineering, AI, nanotechnology, and advanced materials to drive innovation across healthcare, energy, agriculture, food technology, and materials science.Melcer explains that: “Bio-convergence is the world in which biology meets other technologies from the world of engineering—both hardware and software.”This fusion is already enabling breakthroughs such as AI-driven drug discovery, bioengineered materials, sustainable biofuels, precision agriculture, and alternative protein production.In our chat, Melcer discusses how bio-convergence is redefining technological innovation, AI-driven drug discovery, bioengineered materials, sustainable energy, and future food systems, and more.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Peter Nolan, CEO of BlackFinBio, and Kim Kraemer, CEO and founder of Waterhouse Brands.Interview times:01:57 BlackFinBio 19:36 Waterhouse BrandsBlackFinBioBlackfinBio is a clinical stage gene therapy company focused on the development of treatments for rare neurological diseases.Its pipeline comprises BFB-101, a clinical stage AP4B1 replacement adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for spastic paraplegia 47 – an ultra-rare genetic neurological disease for which no treatment currently exists.BFB-201 is a preclinical stage gene therapy to treat several rare dopamine deficiency disorders.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a phase 1/2 clinical trial of BFB-101 in children with hereditary spastic paraplegia, Type 47 (SPG47).The trial is expected to start recruiting by the end of 2025. The FDA has granted an orphan drug designation (ODD) and rare pediatric disease designation (RPDD) to BFB-101 for the treatment of SPG47.SPG47 is a rare, autosomal-recessive, neurological disorder characterised by progressive lower-limb spasticity, developmental delays and intellectual disability in children. It is caused by deleterious changes in the AP4B1 gene. BFB-101 has been designed specifically to address the underlying genetic cause of SPG47 by delivering a functional copy of the AP4B1 gene, with the goal of halting or reversing disease progression. Preclinical results with BFB-101 have demonstrated promising activity and safety.We spoke with the company’s CEO, Peter Nolan.Waterhouse BrandsReputational pull can be a magnetic force for enduring value. Our guest, Kim Kraemer, CEO and founder of Waterhouse Brands, has built a career on helping many biotech, medtech and pharma companies define, build and operationalize their reputation for the good of investors, patients and employees. The company’s ALIGN Methodology is a five-part strategic and creative framework that defines category positioning and high-impact brand activation initiatives to build awareness and drive audience engagement.In our conversation we cover the dynamics of reputation, how reputational pull drives success in turbulent markets and explain how leaders can leverage reputation for strategic decision-making and team alignment.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Dr Peter Tummino, president of R&D at Nimbus, and Alex Del Priore, senior vice president, manufacturing at Syngene International Limited.Interview times:02:00 Syngene 20:27 Nimbus TherapeuticsNimbus TherapeuticsNimbus Therapeutics is perhaps best known for two high-profile deals – Gilead’s $1.2bn acquisition of its NASH program and Takeda’s $4bn acquisition of its TYK2 candidate for psoriasis. NASH and TYK2 are well-known targets that many companies have tried and failed to address over the last four decades. What enables Nimbus to take on these challenging therapeutic areas and succeed?Nimbus leverages a unique computational chemistry, physics-based drug discovery engine to rapidly assess and confirm the properties, high-res structures and MOA of molecules and proteins as well as optimal target selection and molecule design.For example, AMPK—a target that has eluded researchers for 40 years despite its known importance in metabolic diseases—is one of the targets Nimbus has successfully approached where others have failed. Combined with the use of a range of AI and machine learning-based predictive modelling approaches, the company can identify and design molecules with optimal characteristics.Nimbus' approach is founded on tackling the industry's most difficult challenges – targets that scientists have long identified as valuable but put aside because they seemed impossible to drug effectively.We had a conversation with Peter Tummino, president of R&D at Nimbus, on the company, and the role of computational chemistry in drug discovery and development.SyngeneSyngene International Limited, a global contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (CRDMO), has acquired its first biologics site in the US - fitted with multiple monoclonal antibody (mAbs) manufacturing lines.The biologics facility, acquired by Syngene USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Syngene, from Emergent Manufacturing Operations Baltimore, LLC, will expand Syngene's growing global biologics footprint to better serve its customers across both human and animal health market segments. The new site will increase Syngene's total single-use bioreactor capacity to 50,000L for large molecule discovery, development, and manufacturing services. Additionally, it will provide Syngene's customers with continuity of supply from its four development and manufacturing facilities located in India and North America, offering services ranging from cell line development, process optimization and both clinical and commercial supply.Syngene's investment in its first facility in the US marks a strategic commitment to the US market, with significant benefits for the local economy and the broader life sciences industry.Syngene anticipates the site will see demand from innovative US mAb developers requiring direct access for 'onshore' production, as well as international innovators that want a US-based manufacturing option and complements the capabilities and capacity available across its facilities in Bengaluru. As part of the agreement, Emergent has the right to secure manufacturing capacity from the facility in the future, representing offtake potential from US-based innovators. It will also support the growing animal health segment in which a US site is often a key client requirement.We spoke with Alex Del Priore, senior vice president, manufacturing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, our guests are Ben Cliff, CEO of UK-based CRO, Concept Life Sciences, and Ravi Rao, chief medical officer of Sitryx.Interview times01:12 Sitryx 19:40 CLS Concept Life SciencesConcept Life Sciences (CLS), a provider of drug discovery, development, and manufacturing services to the global pharma and biotech sector, recently announced an investment into its drug discovery capabilities.CLS is the UK’s biggest independent CRO, employing over 250 people, and with a corporate heritage spanning 25 years. Its recent strategic investment in the automation of its ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) which supports clients with medicinal chemistry in complex R&D projects. CLS has also made investments in its peptide discovery engine. The company’s team and infrastructure cover all modalities, including small molecules, biologics, and cell and gene therapies, from concept to the clinic.We had a conversation with the company’s CEO, Ben Cliff, about the company and how it is rapidly growing its business, through acquisition, and enhanced services, supported by its lead investor Limerston Capital.CLS has witnessed an average of 32 months to advance a drug from concept to clinic, ahead of the industry average of 60 months. The company has helped accelerate five drugs to market, 28 candidates to the clinic, and 44 candidates to the pre-clinical stage. CLS offers a broad and deep expertise, from drug discovery through early-stage development to multi-kilogram API manufacturing for phase 1 clinical trials.We had a conversation with Ben Cliff, CLS’ CEO.SitryxSitryx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oral therapies to restore immune balance in autoimmune and inflammatory disease.The company has a broad pipeline of novel small molecule candidates targeting major autoimmune indications with high unmet need. Its lead candidate, SYX-5219, is a potentially first-in-class PKM2 modulator in development for atopic dermatitis as a once-daily oral therapy with future development potential across multiple autoimmune diseases.In 2020, Sitryx formed an exclusive global licensing and research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, with the first program, SYX-1042 (itaconate mimetic), now in-house at Eli Lilly and Company and in clinical development, with the commencement of a phase 1 trial in January 2024.Established in 2018 with seed funding from SV Health Investors, Sitryx has raised $85 million to date from an international syndicate of specialist investors.Our chat was with chief medical officer at Sitryx, Ravi Rao.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have a conversation with Ben Zeskind, CEO and co-founder of Immuneering, and a discussion with Tasso Inc.’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Erwin Berthier.Interview times:01:27 Tasso27:25 ImmuneeringImmuneeringThere is no cure for HIV, yet many people with the virus now live long, healthy lives – thanks to available medicines that prevent disease progression with minimal side effects, treating HIV almost like a chronic condition.So why don’t we treat cancer the same way?Curing cancer is seen as the gold standard in medicine, with many drugs focused on shrinking tumours as aggressively as possible – often at the expense of patient tolerability and quality of life. One widely used class of cancer drugs known as MEK inhibitors work by turning off the cancer driving MAPK pathway 24/7. But treatment also affects the healthy cells that rely on the MAPK pathway, which presents limitations in terms of tolerability and drug resistance, causing debilitating side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes. This standard approach often forces patients into an impossible tradeoff: live longer or live better.Researchers are studying a new MEK inhibitor approach that is administered in stop-and-start cycles and turns off the MAPK pathway intermittently – with clinical trial results showing this improves patient tolerability while maintaining efficacy in advanced pancreatic cancer in a first-line setting. This is the first-ever cancer drug to use this approach and could mark a broader shift in how we think about treating cancer.We have a conversation with Ben Zeskind, CEO and co-founder of Immuneering, a company leading this therapeutic approach, to discuss its mechanism of action, the future of cancer treatment, and the potential for cancer to be treated similarly to HIV and other chronic diseases.TassoOur guest is Erwin Berthier, co-founder and chief technology officer of Tasso, Inc., which is transforming blood collection to improve patient care and accelerate clinical research. Traditional methods rely on painful finger sticks and inconvenient clinic visits, often leading to poor patient retention in clinical trials.Tasso is making clinical trials more accessible and efficient. With more than one million devices shipped, Tasso is driving breakthrough research—including partnerships with Hims and Hers Health, the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.The company recently launched the Tasso Mini and Tile-T20 to further modernise blood collection.The Seattle-based company recently established a new joint venture company with Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Ltd. to exclusively distribute Tasso’s proprietary on-demand blood collection device in Japan.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have a conversation with Vidmantas Šakalys, CEO of bioprinting company Vital3D Technologies, and a chat with Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO and co-founder of AOA Dx, another of the companies that attended the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Chicago recently.Interview times:01:47 Vital3D Technologies20:46 AOA DxVital3D TechnologiesLithuanian company Vital3D Technologies is developing 3D bioprinting technology aimed at bridging the organ supply-demand gap by specializing in the 3D printing of human organs.As the company progresses on its journey towards printing organs like the kidneys, via printing human skin, Vital3D Technologies has made practical, ready-to-use applications along the way - one of them being organoid application for drug testing.Bioprinting shows particular promise in cancer treatment by producing tumour models from patient-derived cells. With instances of cancer on the rise globally and the mean cost of cancer drug development estimated at $4.4bn per drug, bioprinting has the potential to alleviate some of the many stressors currently affecting the healthcare system.We have a conversation with the company’s CEO, Vidmantas Šakalys.AOA DxAOA Dx, an early-stage biotech company developing the first test to diagnose ovarian cancer in symptomatic women, and Sonrai Analytics recently announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of AOA’s multi-omic liquid biopsy test.The partnership aims to advance the development of the diagnostic test through a multi-omic biomarker validation strategy.AOA Dx is transforming cancer detection with its proprietary GlycoLocate platform, a first-of-its-kind, multi-omics liquid biopsy that integrates gangliosides, lipids, proteins, and clinical data using advanced machine learning.The company’s lead test, AKRIVIS GD, is designed to diagnose ovarian cancer in symptomatic women, where no other diagnostic currently exists.Our conversation is with Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO and co-founder of AOA Dx.To get in touch with guest suggestions, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com