"Turpentine VC" | Venture Capital and Investing E52: Charting the Course of Biotech with Laura Deming, GP of Longevity Fund, and Will Eden of Sylvan Consulting
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Aug 20, 2024 
Laura Deming, a General Partner at Longevity Fund, and Will Eden from Sylvan Consulting delve into the fascinating world of biotech investments. They explore the evolution of longevity research and groundbreaking technologies like cell and gene therapies. The duo discusses the FDA's complex role in regulating innovations and the challenges faced by biotech startups. They also highlight the dramatic growth in the longevity sector since 2011 and ponder bold aspirations like biological immortality, making the conversation both insightful and entertaining.
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FDA's Efficacy Bar Raised Costs And Slowed Innovation
- The FDA shifted from safety-only to safety-plus-efficacy after thalidomide, raising costs and slowing experimentation.
- That stricter regime increased development expense and likely cost lives by delaying beneficial drugs.
FDA Is More Contextual For High Need Therapies
- The FDA is becoming more flexible for high-need cases, approving radical therapies like CAR T after weighing risks against few-month life expectancies.
- This context-dependent approach enables faster paths for ultra-orphan or terminal conditions.
Explore Long Horizon Funding For Basic Science
- Consider funding basic science via long-horizon institutions that capture downstream royalties rather than typical VC timeframes.
- Laura suggests exploring models that select top researchers and monetize aggregate IP over decades.