Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

Today, we welcome Dr Rosanne Dunn, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of HaemaLogiX, an Australian clinical-stage biotech company that's developing next-generation immunotherapies for multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders.HaemaLogiX is taking a precision approach by targeting novel antigens that are expressed exclusively on malignant plasma cells, sparing healthy ones. Recent peer-reviewed research has validated KMA and LMA as high-value targets, reinforcing the company's unique positioning in the field.Rosanne shares her journey from antibody engineering to building HaemaLogiX, the science behind their differentiated targets, the latest clinical and preclinical progress, and her perspectives on the future of immunotherapy for blood cancers as the company gears up for key milestones, including a planned IPO later this year.01:15 Meet Rosanne Dunn07:52 HaemalogiX's mission and novel antigens09:53 Overview of multiple myeloma and its symptoms12:19 Targeting malignant plasma cells while sparing normal ones19:25 Recent Peer-Reviewed Research26:08 Synergy with IMiDs like Revlimid29:08 Potential patient impact and quality of life35:05 Planned IPO in 2026 and funding needsInterested 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: 5 cancers that immunotherapy can cureBIO-Europe partnering: Australian biotech companies share their experiencesHow are R&D Tax Incentives shaping Australia’s biotech future?

Today we welcome Koenraad Wiedhaup, Co-Founder and CEO of Leyden Labs, and Clarissa Koch, the company's Chief Scientific Officer.Leyden Labs is pioneering a revolutionary non-vaccine approach to combat respiratory viruses like influenza and coronaviruses. Recently, they published groundbreaking data in Science Translational Medicine, demonstrating that their intranasal antibody spray is safe, well-tolerated, and delivers sustained protection right at the virus's entry point: the nose. This innovation addresses the shortcomings of traditional flu vaccines, which average just 13% effectiveness against infection and provide even less for vulnerable groups like the elderly and immunocompromised.We'll dive into the science, the company's journey since its 2020 founding, and their recent €50 million European funding boost amid U.S. biotech challenges.01:33: Meet Koenraad Wiedhaup03:13: Meet Clarissa Koch04:16: Leyden Labs' origin story06:21: Mucosal protection platform explained08:57: Complementing existing vaccines11:47: Science of mucosal immunity13:24: PanFlu lead candidate overview16:42: Key findings from recent publication22:02: Funding and future preparednessInterested 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: Seven biotech companies to know in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands’ biotech scene: The country sets its sights on becoming a global leader by 2040 Influenza solution deals pile up as pandemic preparedness increases 

Today, we welcome Janita Good, a Partner at Fieldfisher with nearly two decades of experience advising top organizations in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. With a D.Phil. in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, Janita brings a unique blend of scientific insight and legal expertise to her work on venture investments, joint ventures, partnerships, and M&A deals. She's advised on landmark transactions, including funding rounds for Phynova and MedAnnex, and collaborations like Intelligent Ultrasound's AI imaging partnerships.In this episode, Janita shares practical guidance for biotech leaders on timing partnerships with larger pharma companies, planning for commercialization from the start, balancing optimistic fundraising with realistic deal projections, and avoiding common legal pitfalls in M&A. We'll also look ahead to emerging trends in the sector and talk through the best way to structure a company for tax effective partnering and licensing.01:29: Meet Janita Good04:42: Fieldfisher's life sciences focus07:20: Fieldfisher’s differentiated approach09:41: Timing early partnering discussions17:26: Structuring for efficient deals21:36: Planning commercialization from start25:22: Key early legal considerations30:00: Balancing fundraising and realism36:25: Optimism in the biotech industryInterested 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: How biotech startups become unicornsThe ABC of biotech startup fundingBiotech’s legal storm: Why securities class action lawsuits are surging

Sean MacDonald, biotech executive and CEO of Kinova Therapeutics with 20+ years in GPCR drug discovery. He discusses Kinova’s GPCR-modulating platform and clinical programs for reversing tumor immunosuppression and treating inflammation. Conversation covers the company rebrand, Series B funding, lead programs (anti-CCR8, PAR2, EP4), partnering strategy, and trends shaping oncology and drug discovery.

Our guest is Sergey Jakimov, the Founding and Managing Partner of LongeVC, a venture capital firm dedicated to backing early-stage biotech and longevity startups. A serial entrepreneur, Sergey has co-founded ventures like Longenesis, a medical tech startup unlocking biomedical data for drug discovery, and the Longevity Science Foundation, a non-profit advancing healthy human lifespan. He’s been named to Forbes Latvia's 30 Under 30 in technology and healthcare, and via LongeVC, he invests in innovation in areas including therapeutics, diagnostics, and personalized medicine.In this episode, Sergey warns about the rising danger of misinformation disguised as health advice—where influencers and hype outpace evidence-based science. I hope you enjoy our discussion as we unpack this public health challenge and explore solutions for a more credible biotech landscape.01:22           Meet Sergey Jakimov06:14           Developing a longevity focus10:47           A typical day at LongeVC13:26           The LongeVC portfolio17:28           Misinformation as health crisis26:04           The harm of bad advice33:16           The impact on biotech industry funding36:18           Strategies for addressing misinformation42:17           Optimism about trends in longevityInterested 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: 13 anti-aging startups on a mission to extend livesTurning back time with cellular reprogramming: Shift raises $16 million in seed fundingAre European biotech VCs under pressure to scale? Time to get pragmatic 

Today, we're joined by Professor Matthew Wood, a leading figure in neuroscience and RNA-based therapeutics. He is Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division, and Director of both the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre and the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre, a groundbreaking partnership between the University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute dedicated to accelerating therapies for rare genetic diseases affecting millions worldwide.In today’s episode we discuss his vision for making antisense oligonucleotides (or ASOs) and gene editing more modular, more scalable, and faster by collaborating with regulators, scientists, and patient groups to bring hope to those with rare neuromuscular and genetic conditions.With rare disease day coming up just next week, I hope you enjoy the insights that Professor Wood shares on the future of the fight against rare disease.01:23 – Meet Matthew Wood07:26 – The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre10:33 – Collaborations, philanthropy, and industry partnerships13:55 – Key challenges in rare disease therapy development20:00 – Modular and scalable platforms for ASOs28:08 – Scaling gene editing like CRISPR for rare diseases32:38 – Role of AI and computational tools in acceleration37:28 – Future breakthroughs in rare disease treatments44:07 – Advice for new researchers in the fieldInterested 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: Prader Willi syndrome: five much-anticipated therapies poised for approval First-ever approval for Barth Syndrome treatment: what does this mean for ultra-rare disease therapeutics? When rare diseases are not so rare after all: A closer look at where and why this happens

As we mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we welcome Avital Sharir-Ivry, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ProPhet, an innovative Israeli startup launched in late 2024 from the AION Labs venture studio.With a PhD in computational biology and drug research, Avital brings deep expertise in structural biology, enzyme design, and evolutionary bioinformatics to her role leading ProPhet's scientific efforts.ProPhet itself is changing small molecule drug discovery by using advanced AI and machine learning to map proteins and compounds into a shared interaction space. This enables rapid, scalable screening of billions of molecules—even for so-called "undruggable" targets—without relying on solved structures or massive datasets, speeding up hit-finding and expanding the reachable therapeutic landscape.01:36 Meet Avital Sharir-Ivry08:55 How ProPhet emerged from AION Labs challenge12:12 Core AI technology for hit-finding at scale15:00 Benchmarks and collaborations17:54 ProPhet’s differentiation from traditional drug discovery19:45 Importance of scaling small molecule exploration24:19 Pharma AI investments and emerging trends26:11 Future AI breakthroughs in drug discovery27:04 Challenges and progress for women in science31:15 Keep up with ProPhetInterested 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: Seven influential women in biotech in 2026 Report: Adopting AI in biologics discoveryWebinar: How AI and LLMs are helping chemists design drugs faster and smarter 

Today, we're joined by Thomas Hopkins, Vice President and Head of ExploR&D at Eli Lilly. With a background as a physician-scientist in oncology, Thomas has spent his career bridging bold discovery science with rigorous development, first in academia and clinical practice, then at Lilly since 2015.Lilly ExploR&D represents new thinking in the pharma-biotech collaboration model: a shared-risk, deep scientific partnership designed specifically for early-stage biotechs. It provides full-stack R&D capabilities helping companies overcome the toughest hurdles in moving from molecule creation to clinical proof-of-concept, all while staying lean in a challenging funding environment.In this episode, Thomas dives into his journey shaping ExploR&D, how the program works in practice, current priorities in modalities and therapeutic areas, and offers some practical advice for biotechs seeking to partner with Eli Lilly.01:30 — Meet Tom Hopkins05:11 — What makes ExploR&D biotech-friendly07:46 — How collaborations work in practice09:40 — Shared risk models14:25 — Engaging bold science early28:16 — Success stories and advice for biotechsInterested 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: Eli Lilly’s strategy in motion: Beyond diabetes and obesityOver $3 billion in a month: Why is Eli Lilly starting 2025 on a buying spree?What to look for in a biotech incubator

Today, my guest is Dr. Clare Wareing, Founder and CEO of Cumulus Oncology, who joins us from Edinburgh. With over 25 years of expertise in oncology drug development, Clare has built a remarkable career translating scientific breakthroughs into life-changing therapies. Cumulus Oncology is curating a risk-adjusted portfolio of preclinical assets focused on high unmet needs in oncology. Their platform-agnostic, approach prioritizes patient subgroups and precision medicine to boost success rates and drive value creation.In this conversation, we explore Clare's journey to and through biotech, Cumulus and the current state of oncology in biotech, the vibrant Scottish biotech ecosystem, and her vision for the future for 2026 and beyond.01:17: Meet Clare Wareing03:57: Inspiration for founding Cumulus Oncology.05:38: Cumulus's unique drug development model.09:53: Overview of Cumulus's asset portfolio.13:05: Importance of the patient subgroup strategy.17:41: Trends in oncology drug discovery.21:09: Drivers of oncology deal-making activity.24:22: Challenges in accessing venture capital.30:06: Future milestones for Cumulus Oncology.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: Curing cancer: Daiichi Sankyo's ambitious ADC approachCracking Cancer’s Code: Transforming Research with Novel Cancer ModelsNew cancer cell discovery sheds light on childhood blood cancer

Today, we're thrilled to have Tim Opler, a leading voice in biotech investment banking. Tim's career spans academia, Credit Suisse, and co-founding Torreya Partners, which Stifel acquired in 2023. As Managing Director in Stifel's Global Healthcare Group, he's advised on over 150 deals totaling more than $100 billion, shaping major M&A, licensing, and financings in life sciences.Tim is renowned for his insightful Biopharma Market Updates, and in this episode, we'll dive into his December 2025 edition, where he outlines five transformative trends set to drive biopharma for the next decade: M&A booms, giant markets like obesity and aging drugs, China's rising innovation, AI's reshape of healthcare, and incredible scientific advances.01:22 - Meet Tim Opler03:12 - Stifel and the Biopharma Market Updates05:50 - Trend 1: M&A Booms10:06 - Trend 2: Giant Markets17:05 - Trend 3: China's Innovation22:29 - Trend 4: AI Reshaping Healthcare28:42 - Trend 5: Incredible Science34:18 - Looking forwardInterested 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: 10 biotech companies in China you should know aboutWhen AI isn’t enough: How physics is shaping the next wave of drug discovery JPM 2026: what’s the outlook like this year?