EP 209: Reinventing Fabry disease treatment with Chris Hopkins of Glafabra Therapeutics
Description
This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Chris Hopkins, CEO of Glafabra Therapeutics. They discuss how Glafabra is advancing a next-generation cell therapy for Fabry disease, the differences between gene therapy modalities, and the future of cell and gene therapy innovation.
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast
00:59 Welcome to Chris
01:28 Overview of Fabry disease and reviving a promising shelved gene therapy
03:12 Limitations of current Fabry disease treatments versus Glafabra Therapeutics’ approach
05:19 How autologous cell therapy avoids an immune response
06:43 Comparing this cell therapy approach to that of Casgevy for sickle cell disease
11:28 Expanding Glafabra’s platform to other lysosomal storage disorders through enzyme cross-correction
13:47 Comparing autologous cell therapy and AAV in Fabry
17:02 Path to clinical development and funding strategy for Glafabra’s lead program
19:33 Cost efficiency and trial design advantages of an orphan drug approach
21:19 Considerations around comparator groups for Glafabra’s therapy
24:11 Underdiagnosis and hidden prevalence of rare diseases
25:53 Other innovations Chris is excited about and expectations for the future of cell and gene therapy
31:56 How Chris invented a technique to safely “milk” venomous cone snails
37:00 Closing remarks and advice for scientists taking the leap from academia to entrepreneurship
Find out more
Glafabra Therapeutics (https://www.glafabra.com/)
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