Biotech 2050 Podcast Biotech 2050

Synopsis:
In this episode of the Biotech 2050 podcast, host Rahul Chaturvedi engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Ray Stevens, a prominent figure in the biotech industry who co-founded Structure Therapeutics. Ray's extensive experience and pivotal role in advancing structure-based drug discovery make him a compelling guest for biotech entrepreneurs seeking to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and funding strategies. The episode delves into Ray's journey as a serial entrepreneur, the evolution of structure-based drug discovery, and the strategies employed by Structure Therapeutics to drive innovation and create impactful treatments for global health challenges. Ray's insights into the changing funding environment, the impact of distributed teams on value creation, and the significance of shared passion and mission in a company's success offer valuable knowledge for industry professionals and entrepreneurs. His reflections on the industry's future trends and the personal growth aspect add a relatable and human element to the discussion, making it a valuable resource for individuals at all career stages.

Biography:
Dr. Stevens helped pioneer the field of structure-based drug discovery. He has been involved in the discovery and development of several therapeutic molecules that have become breakthrough drugs including Palnziq™, which was developed at BioMarin Pharmaceutical and approved in 2018 to treat phenylketonuria. Dr. Stevens also founded Receptos which developed Zeposia™—a GPCR agonist targeting the S1PR1 receptor approved in 2020 for multiple sclerosis and 2021 for ulcerative colitis. Prior to Structure, Dr. Stevens founded the Bridge Institute at the University of Southern California (USC), and the iHuman Institute at ShanghaiTech University. He was previously a tenured chaired chemistry professor at Scripps Research and before that, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Stevens’ laboratory and students have launched several successful biotech startups including Syrrx (acquired by Takeda), MemRx (acquired by Chiron/Novartis), Receptos (acquired by Celgene/BMS), and RuiYi (now Bird Rock Bio). A prolific scholar, Dr. Stevens has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and received several academic and industry awards. Dr. Stevens conducted postdoctoral research in structural biology at Harvard University with William Lipscomb, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1976. Dr. Stevens earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from USC with Robert Bau and George Olah, the latter of whom received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1994. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Southern Maine.

Synopsis:
In this episode of Biotech2050, Scott Megaffin, CEO of Adiso Therapeutics, shares valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities in the biotech industry. His deep involvement in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sector has shaped his strategic approach to leadership and business management. Scott emphasizes the importance of a CEO's versatility and willingness to undertake any task, no matter how small, and also highlights the burden of proving the value of differentiation in a small company. The conversation delves into the significance of collaboration with research institutions and strategic partners, underlining the importance of differentiation and collaboration in competitive markets. Scott’s reflections on his career journey and the development of Adiso's asset Adso 51 provide valuable lessons for professionals and entrepreneurs in the field, making this episode a must-listen for biotech entrepreneurs and professionals seeking to enhance their ability to differentiate and collaborate in competitive markets.

Biography:
Scott joined Adiso Therapeutics as Chief Executive Officer in January 2022, bringing more than 35 years of successful industry leadership, having held multiple senior executive, CEO and board director roles during his career at both Fortune 500 pharmaceutical and emerging biotechnology companies. Among Mr. Megaffin’s many career leadership roles, he previously served as the CEO of Adastra Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pioneer in the pursuit of better treatment options for high unmet need cancers, where he led the company from early informative to clinical-stage advancement of first-in-class clinical programs, and ultimately to its acquisition by Cothera Bioscience. Earlier, he served as a President of Churchill Pharmaceuticals, Inc., leading the organizational growth and development of a fully differentiated oral oncology asset for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer through FDA approval and ultimately a transaction to Sun Pharma. Mr. Megaffin has held numerous global strategic and operational positions of increasing responsibility within Onconova, Schering-Plough, Yamanouchi, Pharmacia, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. During his career Scott has led six global drug development programs resulting in regulatory approvals. He possesses far reaching knowledge in a broad number of therapeutic categories including oncology, anti-infectives, inflammation, pain, critical care, and virology. Mr. Megaffin currently serves as a board member of Adastra and on the Board of Directors for BioNJ, the biotechnology and life science organization of New Jersey. Mr. Megaffin holds a B.S. in Biology from Pittsburg State University.

Synopsis:
In this episode of the Biotech2050 podcast, Dr. Mathai Mammen, CEO of FogPharma, shares valuable insights into the future trends of the biotech industry and the development of peptide-based therapeutics. Dr. Mammen's extensive career trajectory, from academia to leading pharmaceutical organizations, provides a comprehensive understanding of the industry's evolution and the pivotal roles he played at Theravance, Merck, and J&J. The episode delves into the significance of intracellular protein interactions and FogPharma's focus on developing helicon peptides to address this unmet need. Dr. Mammen's emphasis on a moonshot culture at FogPharma, coupled with his strategic approach to commercial success in biotech, makes this episode essential listening for executives in the biotech industry who are looking to stay ahead of future trends and gain insights into the innovative approaches shaping the industry's landscape. His profound knowledge and experience position him as a thought leader, offering invaluable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in biotech, making this episode a compelling resource for industry executives seeking to implement strategies for commercial success in the biotech sector.

Biography:
Mathai Mammen is a world-renowned innovator in drug discovery, development, and team and company building. He brings significant global R&D and corporate leadership experience to his role as CEO, President and Chairman at FogPharma.

Most recently, Mathai was a member of the executive committee at Johnson & Johnson, where he served as executive vice president of pharmaceuticals, R&D. During his tenure, he spearheaded a significant evolution of Janssen’s R&D, one of the largest R&D organizations in the world. Mathai was a key leader in Johnson & Johnson’s bold foray into COVID vaccines and he helped drive Janssen’s substantial growth to become one of the top pharmaceutical companies globally. Under Mathai’s leadership, Janssen R&D executed 40+ acquisitions and licenses and 350+ strategic partnerships and collaborations. A central pillar of his strategy was data science, which he used to couple recent revolutionary advances in data, compute and algorithmic approaches to every aspect of discovering and developing medicines. Mathai led his team to global approvals of eight new medicines, including Tremfya™, Darzalex Faspro™, Balversa™, Carvykti™, Rybrevant™, Ponvory™, Spravato™ and Tecvayli™, with many additional global approvals for expanded indications of marketed products.

Prior to his role at Johnson & Johnson, Mathai served as senior vice president at Merck, where he was responsible for multiple research areas, including cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, immunology, oncology and immuno-oncology. Before Merck, he led R&D at Theravance, Inc., a company he co-founded out of graduate school based on his work at Harvard University with Dr. George Whitesides. Under his leadership, Theravance advanced a robust pipeline of multiple development-stage compounds resulting in five approved pharmaceutical products, and separated into two companies: Theravance Biopharma, Inc. and Innoviva, Inc.

In addition to his extensive corporate experience, Mathai currently serves on the board of directors of 10x Genomics, Inc. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and patents.

Mathai holds an M.D. from the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (HST) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University.

Synopsis:
In the recent episode of Biotech2050, Ken Galbraith, CEO of Zymeworks, shares profound insights into the biotech industry, leadership, and the complexities of developing innovative treatments for challenging cancers. Galbraith's accidental entry into biotech in 1987, despite lacking prior experience, led to his pivotal role in establishing a successful biotech company in Canada, shaping the industry significantly. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the critical elements of leadership, continuous learning, and the relentless pursuit of groundbreaking science. Galbraith's focus on addressing unmet medical needs and navigating the dynamic biotech landscape offers valuable lessons for current and aspiring biotech leaders. Furthermore, his involvement in developing innovative biologic structures for difficult-to-treat cancers, exemplified by Zymeworks' mission, underscores the episode's relevance for biotech professionals seeking insights into leadership, growth, and pioneering solutions for challenging medical conditions. Galbraith's wealth of experience and strategic approach provide a compelling narrative that makes this episode an invaluable resource for understanding the keys to success in the dynamic and impactful field of biotechnology.

Biography:
Mr. Galbraith has served as Zymeworks’ Chair & CEO since January 2022. Mr. Galbraith has over 35 years’ experience in biotechnology and venture capital having acted as an executive, director, investor as well as an advisor to companies in the biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors across North America and the UK in the growth of both private and public companies from an early-stage through regulatory approval and commercialization. Ken has worked with many biotechnology companies including: Liminal BioSciences Inc., Macrogenics, AnorMED, Alder Pharmaceuticals, Celator Pharmaceuticals, Novadaq, Profound Medical, Fairhaven Pharmaceuticals, Tekmira, Angiotech, Aquinox, and Xenon Pharmaceuticals among others. Mr. Galbraith currently serves on the board of directors of Profound Medical He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree from the University of British Columbia in 1985.

Synopsis:
In this episode of Biotech2050, host Alok Tayi engages in a profound conversation with Craig Chambliss, CEO and co-founder of Neurellis, delving into their strategic advancements in precision therapies for CNS diseases. Chambliss shares his journey, highlighting his finance and accounting background and pivotal roles in pharmaceutical companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and Alza Pharmaceuticals. His passion for impactful drug delivery technologies led to the launch of life-changing products, including an intranasal diazepam program for seizure emergencies, ultimately culminating in the founding of Neurellis in 2008. With the approval of their product Altoco in 2020, Neurellis addressed unmet needs in the epilepsy market, emphasizing the significance of a passionate team and a foundational product for successful clinical trials and market access. The conversation emphasizes the importance of precision therapies in the CNS space, collaboration for innovative solutions, and the potential of Neurellis' pipeline in addressing severe epileptic encephalopathies. Chambliss's insights into the strategic management of a biotech company, the utilization of platform technologies, and the evolving landscape of the biotech industry offer compelling takeaways for biotech executives seeking strategic insights. This episode provides a valuable opportunity to gain strategic insights into precision therapies for CNS diseases and the journey of a successful biotech company.

Biography:
Craig Chambliss’ 30-year tenure in the biopharma and drug delivery sectors has largely specialized in rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and epilepsy. As the co-founder, CEO, and President of Neurelis, he has orchestrated the company's growth, securing over $300M in funding and guiding its evolution into a fully integrated organization, spanning from early-stage development to commercialization.


Before his current role at Neurelis, Mr. Chambliss played a key part in reshaping NextWave Pharmaceuticals into a CNS-focused entity, serving as its Chief Business Officer. Under his leadership, NextWave secured $45M in Series C financing and was later acquired by Pfizer in a deal value exceeding $700M in 2012. Prior to NextWave, he also helped rebuild Questcor Pharmaceuticals as a CNS-focused organization, where he led commercial operations supporting the relaunch of Acthar® Gel for the treatment of a rare epilepsy disorder in pediatric patients.


Mr. Chambliss's pharmaceutical journey began in sales at Bristol Myers Squibb and continued through various roles at Alza Pharmaceuticals and Elan Pharmaceuticals. In 2001, he helped launch Xcel Pharmaceuticals, a CNS startup focusing on epilepsy treatment, leading to a successful acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals in 2005 for $280M. His academic foundation includes Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Accounting from Missouri State University.

Synopsis:
On the Biotech2050 podcast, Tuyen Ong, CEO at Ring Therapeutics and CEO partner at flagship pioneering, shared his journey from a medical background to leading innovative gene therapy companies, highlighting the importance of cross-disciplinary expertise in driving biotech advancements. His insights into the gene therapy landscape and the future of genetic medicine, including its intersection with artificial intelligence, offer valuable perspectives for biotech professionals seeking to navigate the complexities of precision medicine and drug development. Tuyen's emphasis on fostering a values-driven culture, leveraging innovation in genetic medicine, and maintaining a resilient mindset in the face of industry challenges serves as a guiding light for aspiring biotech professionals and organizations striving to make a positive impact on global health. With a deep understanding of the industry's challenges and opportunities, Tuyen's discussion with host Rahul Chaturvedi provides a comprehensive exploration of culture-building, precision medicine, and strategic growth within the biotech industry, making it a must-listen for professionals seeking insights into innovative advancements in precision medicine.

Biography:
Tuyen is a physician, bioentrepreneur and Ring’s CEO. Prior to joining Ring Therapeutics in September 2020, Tuyen served as Senior Vice President at Biogen and as Chief Development Officer at Nightstar Therapeutics until its acquisition by Biogen. During this time, he was involved with the company’s public listing on the NASDAQ, corporate and gene therapy strategy, investor, and M&A activities. Tuyen brings over 20 years of clinical and drug development experience from both large pharma and biotech, working in the fields of genetics, ophthalmology, and rare disease at PTC Therapeutics Inc., Bausch and Lomb Inc. (acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.), and Pfizer. Tuyen holds an MD from the University College London and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and a Churchill Fellow.