Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

Labiotech
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Welcome to the official Labiotech.eu podcast - Beyond Biotech! Each week, we talk about what's happening in the world of biotech, with news and interviews with experts from companies around the world. Join us as we cover the latest news, breakthroughs and innovations shaping the life sciences industry.A new podcast episode is available every Friday. The host is Dylan Kissane.

  1. 17H AGO

    Reversing tumor immunosuppression with next-gen GPCR modulation

    Today we’re joined by Sean MacDonald, CEO of Kainova Therapeutics. With more than twenty years of biotech leadership and deep expertise in strategy and development, Sean is guiding the company through an exciting new chapter. We’ll dive into Kainova’s innovative GPCR-modulating platform, its promising pipeline, the science behind reversing tumor immunosuppression and targeting inflammation, and the reasons behind the recent rebrand from Domain Therapeutics to Kainova Therapeutics. We’ll also be taking a look at the broader oncology landscape—what’s hot, who’s investing big, and where the biggest opportunities and challenges lie. 01:09 – Meet Sean Macdonald 05:40 – Kainova's GPCR platform and therapeutic focus 08:57 – The story and meaning behind the Kainova rebrand 10:25 – Series B funding and pipeline programs 16:43 – Exciting trends and innovations in oncology 29:17 – Upcoming milestones and future plans Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic:  GPCR therapies: Eight promising biotechs hacking the cell signaling pathwayEpisode 182: Building a smart oncology pipeline with Cumulus OncologyEpisode 34: eClinical Solutions, GPCR Therapeutics, Orbsen Therapeutics

    34 min

  2. FEB 27

    Misinformation is a public health crisis - here's how to fix it

    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 newsletter To 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

    50 min

  3. FEB 20

    Accelerating rare disease cures with ASOs, gene editing, and AI

    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 Wood 07:26 – The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre 10:33 – Collaborations, philanthropy, and industry partnerships 13:55 – Key challenges in rare disease therapy development 20:00 – Modular and scalable platforms for ASOs 28:08 – Scaling gene editing like CRISPR for rare diseases 32:38 – Role of AI and computational tools in acceleration 37:28 – Future breakthroughs in rare disease treatments 44:07 – Advice for new researchers in the field Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To 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

    49 min

  4. FEB 13

    Using AI to crack undruggable drug targets

    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-Ivry 08:55 How ProPhet emerged from AION Labs challenge 12:12 Core AI technology for hit-finding at scale 15:00 Benchmarks and collaborations 17:54 ProPhet’s differentiation from traditional drug discovery 19:45 Importance of scaling small molecule exploration 24:19 Pharma AI investments and emerging trends 26:11 Future AI breakthroughs in drug discovery 27:04 Challenges and progress for women in science 31:15 Keep up with ProPhet Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To 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

    33 min

  5. FEB 6

    How Eli Lilly's biotech collaboration model is rewriting early-stage innovation

    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 Hopkins 05:11 — What makes ExploR&D biotech-friendly 07:46 — How collaborations work in practice 09:40 — Shared risk models 14:25 — Engaging bold science early 28:16 — Success stories and advice for biotechs Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To 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

    36 min

  6. JAN 30

    Building a smart oncology pipeline with Cumulus Oncology

    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 Wareing 03:57: 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 newsletter To 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

    35 min

  7. JAN 23

    Top 5 trends that will drive biopharma in the next decade with Tim Opler

    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 Opler 03:12 - Stifel and the Biopharma Market Updates 05:50 - Trend 1: M&A Booms 10:06 - Trend 2: Giant Markets 17:05 - Trend 3: China's Innovation 22:29 - Trend 4: AI Reshaping Healthcare 28:42 - Trend 5: Incredible Science 34:18 - Looking forward Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To 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?

    36 min

  8. JAN 16

    Labiotech's 15 biopharma companies to watch in 2026

    Today I’m joined by not one, not two, but three guests with their takes on the biotech year ahead. In December we tasked Labiotech journalists Jules Adam, Roohi Peter, and Willow Shah-Neville with the task of identifying the five biotech players that they thought would be the ones to watch in 2026. Now you can read that article at Labiotech-dot-EU, and we’ve linked it in the show notes here in your podcast player, too, but on today’s episode I’m joined by Jules, Roohi, and Willow who explain a little more about the companies that caught their eye and what might be expected of those companies in the year ahead. 15 companies, three journalists, all in one special podcast as we uncover the companies to watch in 2026. 1:18     Meet Jules Adam 2:30     Abivax 4:04     AAVantgarde Bio 6:10     Isotope Technologies Munich (ITM) 8:16     MaaT Pharma 9:55     Novo Nordisk 13:15    Meet Willow Shah-Neville 14:29    Kardigan 18:23    Braveheart Bio 21:16    Beam Therapeutics 24:34    MindMed 27:39    Kailera Therapeutics 32:36    Meet Roohi Peter 33:30    Aspen Neuroscience 34:45    Reunion Neuroscience 36:14    MapLight Therapeutiucs 37:41    Hope Medicine 38:59    Regenxbio Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic:  Keep an eye on these 15 biotech companies in 2026 Biotech in 2025: A retrospective Eight of the biggest immunology and inflammation (I&I) deals in 2025

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to the official Labiotech.eu podcast - Beyond Biotech! Each week, we talk about what's happening in the world of biotech, with news and interviews with experts from companies around the world. Join us as we cover the latest news, breakthroughs and innovations shaping the life sciences industry.A new podcast episode is available every Friday. The host is Dylan Kissane.

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