The BioHub - by Avetix Episode 98 - Christian Leisner - CEO CDR Life
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Dec 9, 2025 
Christian Leisner, the CEO and co-founder of CDR Life, a biotech innovator in targeted T-cell immunotherapies, shares insights from his impressive career. He discusses the challenges of funding and intellectual property in biotech, and the exciting potential of CDR404, a promising T-cell engager designed for cancer treatment. Leisner also highlights the adaptability of their platform for autoimmune diseases, and the rapid advancements in oncology drug development. Plus, his choice of historical figures for dinner reveals his love for exploration and intellectual discourse.
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Founding Team Came From Espartec
- Christian Leisner describes recruiting his small founding team from colleagues he met at Espartec and convincing them to join a risky startup.
- They iterated on ideas until settling on T-cell engagers targeting cleaner cancer antigens and built the company around that focus.
Use Adjacent Programs To De‑Risk And Fund
- Leverage platform outputs in adjacent fields to de-risk flagship programs and secure non-dilutive funding early.
- Use early partnerships to validate technology and unlock follow‑on financing rounds.
Early Ophthalmology Deal Funded The Startup
- Early CDR Life had almost no IP, data, or money but secured an ophthalmology outlicense to Boehringer‑Ingelheim for CDR202.
- That deal provided non-dilutive funding and validation which enabled preclinical oncology proof and a $76M Series A in 2022.
