Base to Base Biotech

Jim Cornall
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The Base to Base Biotech podcast is a weekly look at what's happening in the world of biotech, with interviews with biotech leaders around the world. Whether it's a new drug, cutting-edge technology, product launches, new technology, major finding announcement or clinical trial results, Base to Base Biotech keeps you informed. The podcast is hosted by former biotech editor and broadcaster, the award-winning media veteran Jim Cornall. Base to Base is an Ayr Coastal Media Ltd production.

  1. 3d ago

    Base to Base biotech podcast 74: A vision for vision, and studying pancreatic cancer

    This week, our guests are Bryan McClellan, who conducted research on pancreatic cancer as a postdoctoral fellow at Dell Medical School, and William Matsui, the study's senior author and former executive vice dean for research at Dell Medical School; and Theialife president and CEO, Thomas Ruggia, about myopia. 02:26 Theialife 27:38 University of Texas Theialife Theialife is a global ophthalmology drug development company focused on advancing first-in-class therapies that aim to address major unmet needs in eye diseases. The company’s lead asset, ND10 (7-Methylxanthine), is an oral therapy designed to slow paediatric myopia progression, for which phase 3 clinical trial planning is currently under way. Theialife is building a pipeline of differentiated ophthalmic programmes targeting indications that include dry eye disease, wet age-related macular degeneration, and corneal blindness. Thealife’s mission is to develop transformative therapies to address significant unmet needs of vision care worldwide. Research uncovers new driver of immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer Pancreatic tumours can resist immunotherapy by recruiting nearby immune cells to help protect them, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. The findings, published in Nature Communications, point to a potential new strategy for overcoming resistance and improving cellular therapies. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the US by 2030. CAR T-cell therapy, which re-engineers a patient's own T cells to hunt tumours, has transformed treatment for several blood cancers but has repeatedly stalled against solid tumours such as pancreatic cancer, where early responses fade and tumours return. Researchers found dormant tumour cells protected themselves by recruiting other immune cells. The cells released a protein called EREG that activated nearby macrophages, immune cells that help coordinate the body's immune response. Those macrophages then suppressed CAR T cells, reducing the therapy's effectiveness. When macrophages were removed, the protective effect disappeared. Blocking EREG changed outcomes in mice. Median survival increased from about five weeks to more than four months, and tumours were eradicated in half of the treated animals. The approach prevented relapses. Researchers also saw similar results when they used an antibody to block EREG instead of preventing tumour cells from producing it. Because antibodies can be developed as medicines, the findings suggest the approach could have potential for patients. The researchers found the same pattern in human tissue. Across 23 patient tumour samples, EREG was concentrated in dormant cancer cells, and tumours rich in those cells contained fewer cancer-killing T cells. In a separate national tumour database, patients with high EREG expression had a five-year survival rate of zero, compared with 33% among patients with low expression. Because EREG appears to shield tumours from immune attack rather than drive their growth, they suggest it could serve two roles: as a target to improve cellular therapies already in clinical testing for pancreatic cancer, and as a biomarker to identify tumours that are keeping immune cells out. McClellan and Matsui are now in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at UT MD. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 74: A vision for vision, and studying pancreatic cancer

  2. Aug 28

    Base to Base biotech podcast 73: Polymacrocyclic peptides and AI in drug discovery and diagnosis

    This week, our guests are chief scientific officer of Valo Health, Karin Conde-Knape, and Karsten Eastman, CEO of Sethera Therapeutics. Times: 03:06 Sethera Therapeutics 20:08 Valo Health Valo Health Our guest from Valo Health is chief scientific officer Karin Conde-Knape. As head of global drug discovery at Novo Nordisk, she helped expand the company’s research pipeline to more than 100 programmes across new therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular and liver diseases. Earlier this year, she joined Valo Health, bringing AI, real-world patient data and predictive chemistry to rethink drug discovery from the ground up. Valo Health said it is redefining drug discovery and development through its AI-enabled human causal biology and closed loop chemistry platforms. It uses AI to understand disease causality, identify patient sub­types across heterogeneous diseases, and pin­point novel drug targets. The company validates targets using 3D engineered human tissue models that mimic mature human physiology and structure. The company’s closed loop chemistry platform enables rapid development of potential molecules from trillions of starting points. Valo’s approach aims to identify more impactful drug targets and small molecule therapeutics, faster, and with greater precision than traditional R&D methods. The company works with global pharmaceutical partners, including Novo Nordisk and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in addition to advancing its own pipeline. Valo was founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2019. Sethera Therapeutics Sethera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a polymacrocyclic peptide discovery platform based on enzymatic cross-linking chemistry. The platform enables the generation and screening of highly constrained peptide architectures designed to access chemical and biological space that is difficult to reach with conventional small molecules, biologics, or traditional peptide approaches. Sethera's technology was originally developed at the University of Utah and is exclusively licensed to the company. By collaborating with industry leaders and research institutions, Sethera aims to unlock new possibilities in drug discovery and development for targets that are difficult to address with existing therapeutic modalities. The company recently announced a collaborative breast cancer research project with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has received funding through the Fiscal Year 2025 Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award, administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The award supports innovative, high-impact research aimed at advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 73: Polymacrocyclic peptides and AI in drug discovery and diagnosis

  3. Aug 21

    Base to Base biotech podcast 72: Cell-free DNA bioproduction

    This week, we have a conversation about the Flexible Automation for Scalable Health (FLASH) programme, focused on the development of scalable cell-free DNA bioproduction capabilities. Our guests are John Schiel, program manager at ARPA-H; DNA Script co-founder and CTO, Xavier Godron; and John Nelson, senior biosciences principal and FLASH program lead at GE HealthCare’s Healthcare Technology and Innovation Center. $26m ARPA-H funding for cell-free DNA bioproduction DNA Script and prime awardee GE HealthCare have been awarded up to $26m in funding for a four-year initiative from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The award will support the advancement of the FLASH programme, focused on the development of scalable cell-free DNA bioproduction capabilities and powered in part by DNA Script’s enzymatic DNA synthesis (EDS) technology and SYNTAX platform. Led by GE HealthCare, FLASH aims to develop a modular, automated platform for the rapid, distributed manufacturing of high-fidelity DNA to support research and potential future applications in personalised medicines, vaccines, and other genetic health technologies. DNA Script’s EDS technology supports this goal by enabling faster and more flexible DNA manufacturing workflows. DNA Script is contributing its EDS technology and acting as the technical solution integrator for the project. It has adapted its solution to incorporate GE HealthCare’s DNA scaling technology, complementing DNA Script’s EDS technology, with the goal of eventually deploying the integrated platform across US medical research centres, universities, and federal agencies. John Schiel, program manager at ARPA-H, said: “ARPA-H solutions are designed to address hard problems with bold, practical approaches. Projects like FLASH exemplify how scalable, platform-based technologies can transform the way health solutions are developed, produced, and delivered.” Marc Montserrat, DNA Script CEO, said: “Our enzymatic DNA synthesis platform is ideally suited for the on-demand manufacturing model FLASH is pioneering. Collaborating with GE HealthCare on an ARPA-H program of this scale shortens the path from research bench to patient bedside for next-generation therapies, personalized vaccines, and the broader genetic-medicine pipeline.” John Nelson, senior biosciences principal and FLASH program lead, GE HealthCare’s Healthcare Technology and Innovation Center, said: “GE HealthCare’s Technology & Innovation Center drives exploratory and translational research focused on addressing healthcare challenges through federal funding, academic collaboration, and private-sector research and development. As personalized and time-sensitive genetic medicines continue to advance, there is a growing need for manufacturing approaches that are faster, more flexible, and more accessible. Our vision for the FLASH program is to develop new DNA-based medicines on demand quickly, safely, and at scale.” To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 72: Cell-free DNA bioproduction

  4. Aug 14

    Base to Base biotech podcast 71: The IgA/CD89 axis

    This week, we have a conversation Paweł Szczepański, CEO of JJP Biologics about specially-built antibodies to tackle autoimmune diseases and cancer. JJP Biologics JJP Biologics is a clinical-stage biotech that leverages its in-depth understanding of immune pathway science in autoimmune diseases and cancer. Starting from deep mechanistic insights, JJPBio engineers antibodies that are built-to-order, designed to restore immune balance and deliver better disease control for patients with significant unmet need, because we believe that we can do better for patients. JJPBio is the first company to generate clinical validation of the IgA/CD89 axis, establishing first-mover advantage in a disease area with broad implications across autoimmune conditions including IgA nephropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and celiac disease. Its immuno-oncology programme targets the CD270/HVEM checkpoint pathway in cancer. Backed by the long-term, socially responsible capital of the Starak family and the Polpharma Group, JJPBio operates with the scientific freedom and financial stability to pursue mechanisms others simply cannot. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 71: The IgA/CD89 axis

  5. Jul 31

    Base to Base biotech podcast 70: Taking the lead on GI motility disorders

    This week, we have a conversation with Peter G. Milner, founder and director of Renexxion, about GI motility disorders. Renexxion Renexxion, Inc. is a privately held US-headquartered clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, with a subsidiary in Ireland, committed to developing new therapies for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Renexxion’s lead program is naronapride, a late-stage drug candidate being developed for multiple unmet indications in the upper and lower GI tract. Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH, a research-based pharmaceutical company specializing in digestive and metabolic medicine, and Renexxion recently announced positive results from MOVE-IT, a global phase 2b, randomised placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of naronapride in adults with gastroparesis. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 70: Taking the lead on GI motility disorders

  6. Jul 24

    Base to Base biotech podcast 69: nrHSV-1 technology and environmental testing through hair

    Times: 01:33 Cyllene Tx 21:37 LinusBio This week, we have conversations with LinusBio founder and Mt. Sinai environmental professor, Dr. Manish Arora, as well as with Philippe Chambon, CEO of Cyllene Therapeutics (Cyllene Tx). Cyllene Therapeutics Cyllene Therapeutics is a global leader in non-replicating HSV-1 (nrHSV-1) vector technology in neurology. It is currently executing a phase 1/2 study in the US with its lead DNA medicine candidate, EG110A, in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (neurogenic bladder)-related incontinence. This is the first human study with nrHSV vectors targeting sensory neuron-based diseases. EG110A is being developed to address multiple severe bladder diseases, including overactive bladder (OAB), and has the potential to be a major improvement over existing therapies, resulting in better care for patients and lower costs for healthcare systems. The company's HERMES platform delivers pinpoint neurotherapeutics to treat prevalent diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system. Its vectors can achieve focal transduction and then selective expression of transgenes in targeted subsets of neurons. With demonstrated clinical safety and possible repeat dosing, the large payload capacity of nrHSV-1 vectors allows for versatile DNA delivery and smarter DNA medicine. LinusBio LinusBio’s Traced, which launched this month, is the first direct-to-consumer wellness test that uses a single strand of hair to provide a day-by-day view of exposure to 15 elements—including nutrients like zinc and magnesium, as well as toxic elements such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminium—over the course of 30 days. Traced uses LinusBio's proprietary platform, combining advanced robotics, laser ablation, and mass spectrometry to identify exposure patterns over time. Traced provides consumers with a 30-day history of all measured exposures. Levels are measured relative to LinusBio's proprietary global reference database. It is not a measure of health or a diagnosis of any condition; it's meant to inform consumers and empower them to take steps to mitigate their exposure. Developed from research at Mount Sinai, Traced offers a different approach than traditional blood or urine testing by showing how exposures change over time and helping consumers connect those patterns to their daily routines, travel, homes, and environments. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 69: nrHSV-1 technology and environmental testing through hair

  7. Jul 17

    Base to Base biotech podcast 68: Water from air for pharma and beyond

    This week, we have a conversation with Kyle Cordova, founder and CEO of AquaPoro. AquaPoro AquaPoro is a deeptech company engineering systems that can harvest water from the atmosphere based in California that was spun out of Jordan's Royal Scientific Society. Atmospheric water generators (AWGs) aren't uncommon as freshwater becomes scarcer for use in a variety of industries from food and beverages to pharmaceutical companies. AquaPoro's approach is different. Traditional AWGs require more than 60% humidity to function. AquaPoro's can function with less than 10%. Its atmospheric low-humidity moisture adsorption (ALMA) technology, based on Nobel Prize winning chemistry frameworks, extracts water from ambient air at lower energy and cost, regardless of temperature or humidity. Its process is continuous, and its modular "Stream" systems integrate directly into manufacturing facilities for more efficient output. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

    Base to Base biotech podcast 68: Water from air for pharma and beyond

  8. Jul 10

    Base to Base biotech podcast 67: Synthetic DNA and crossing the blood-brain barrier

    Times: 02:58 Deep Science Ventures 22:16 4basebio This week, we have a conversation with Amy Walker, CEO of 4basebio, and Adam Tomassi-Russell, senior director, climate, at Deep Science Ventures. 4basebio 4basebio is a UK-based biotechnology company pioneering the use of synthetic DNA to enable next-generation therapeutics and vaccines. Through its proprietary enzymatic DNA synthesis platform, 4basebio produces GMP-grade synthetic DNA and mRNA with superior speed, purity, and scalability, overcoming the limitations of plasmid-based systems. The company offers application-specific DNA constructs tailored to the diverse needs of gene therapies, genome editing, mRNA production, and DNA vaccines, helping partners accelerate proof-of-concept studies and reach clinical milestones more efficiently. Deep Science Ventures Deep Science Ventures (DSV) is a venture creator building deeptech companies in four sectors: agriculture, climate, computation and pharmaceuticals. For just under a decade, DSV has pioneered venture creation through funded partnerships with organisations like Coca-Cola, AbbVie, Anglo American, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) and Cancer Research UK. DSV and Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), a life sciences service dedicated to turning drug discovery into commercial breakthroughs, recently announced a strategic collaboration to address challenges in delivering medicines into the brain. DSV's portfolio, worth more than $700m, has raised more than $270m from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Sequoia, Sam Altman, and Patrick Collison. DSV is a global team of scientists and exited founders based in London, Tokyo, and Boston, with backgrounds from Bell Labs, Imperial College, and Intel. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

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About

The Base to Base Biotech podcast is a weekly look at what's happening in the world of biotech, with interviews with biotech leaders around the world. Whether it's a new drug, cutting-edge technology, product launches, new technology, major finding announcement or clinical trial results, Base to Base Biotech keeps you informed. The podcast is hosted by former biotech editor and broadcaster, the award-winning media veteran Jim Cornall. Base to Base is an Ayr Coastal Media Ltd production.

Information

  • Creator
    Jim Cornall
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ayr Coastal Media Ltd 2025
  • Show Website
    Base to Base Biotech

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