Raising Biotech

Surani Fernando
  • 5.0 (6)
  • LIFE SCIENCES

A narrative podcast series hosted by journalist Surani Fernando that goes beyond the headlines to explore how biotech companies are really built — from bold ideas and impressive fundraises to the science that could reshape healthcare. Surani speaks with founders, CEOs, investors, and experts to uncover origin stories, company missions, and the challenges of bringing ambitious discoveries to market. Through thoughtful, independent reporting, Raising Biotech examines what it really takes to turn breakthroughs into lasting impact for patients and the industry. For guest or sponsor pitches, please get in touch with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email raisingbiotech@gmail.com.

  1. 5D AGO

    S3, EP5: Special Analysis: What's going on with European Biotech? - Reporting from BioEurope in Vienna

    In this special on-the-ground episode of Raising Biotech, Surani takes you inside BIO-Europe 2025 in Vienna — the dealmaking, the caffeine, and the cautious optimism shaping Europe’s biotech landscape right now. Over three packed days, 6,000+ attendees from more than 60 countries gathered to broker partnerships, court investors, and debate what’s next for the industry. Surani attended panels, spoke with companies, investors and experts on the ground, and gives her observations and analysis. This episode includes a special conversation with Patrik Frei, CEO and Founder of Venture Valuation AG — who shares insights on valuations, investor behaviour, and why Europe might quietly be regaining its strategic importance. In this episode: Europe’s changing role in the global biotech pipeline — and what the data actually shows. Why investors say “proof over promise” is the new rule of thumb. How smaller, disciplined rounds are redefining resilience. What’s behind the shift from “build to sell” to “build to endure.” Music featured in this episode: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (I. Allegro) and “Rondo alla Turca” (Turkish March). Both recordings are in the public domain, courtesy of GregorQuendel

    19 min

  2. OCT 1

    S3, E4: ReproNovo’s strategic trash-to-treasure bet on fertility and reproductive health - with CEO Jean Marie Duval

    In this episode, we dive into ReproNovo’s “trash to treasure” biotech story. Founded in Switzerland in 2021, the company is reimagining reproductive medicine, one of the most underserved areas in biotech, by reviving overlooked and discarded assets. Earlier this year, ReproNovo raised a $65M Series A from a syndicate of esteemed European investors to advance programs in male infertility, embryo implantation, and adenomyosis. CEO Jean Marie Duval reflects on her unconventional path from patent attorney to biotech CEO, why she and her co-founders put their own capital on the line, and how they convinced investors to back them without fresh data. We also talk about the unique hurdles of drug development in fertility, the challenge of designing and powering clinical trials, and why the next two years will be pivotal for ReproNovo to prove its vision of revival and hopes for a successful exit. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Jean Marie’s elevator pitch on ReproNovo 03:00 – Pipeline overview: RPN-001 and RPN-002, from Novartis/Mereo and ObsEva 06:00 – Jean Marie’s career journey: from biomedical engineer to patent attorney to pharma exec and biotech CEO 07:30 – Founding story: bootstrapping, co-founders, and the first in-license 10:00 – The 18-month grind: capital risk, grit, and courage 12:00 – Bringing in M Ventures and building the Series A syndicate 15:00 – Convincing investors in an under-served field 19:00 – Asset history: male infertility data signals, IVF trial failures, and fresh strategies 21:30 – Embryo implantation and adenomyosis: unmet need and opportunity 22:00 – Clinical trial plans: Phase II timelines, endpoints, and design challenges 26:30 – Safety vs efficacy: the importance of balancing risk in women’s health trials 28:30 – Trial recruitment and patient motivation 30:00 – Looking ahead: pivotal studies, Series B or big pharma exit For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    32 min

  3. SEP 3

    S3, E3: AltruBio’s Cinderella story from bankruptcy talks to a $225M Series B to tackle autoimmune diseases - with CEO Dr Judy Chou

    In this episode, we look at AltruBio’s Cinderella story. While the company officially launched in 2020, its roots go back more than 20 years with a rich immunology pipeline stuck in “academic-style experiments.” On the brink of bankruptcy, a team of executives — including Dr. Judy Chou — stepped in to reboot the company, which has since raised nearly $300M. Judy reflects on her journey from med school in Taiwan to Ivy League colleges and senior roles at AbbVie and Bayer before taking the leap into biotech leadership. We talk about AltruBio’s bold pivot into autoimmune disease, how Judy successfully convinced investors to save a sinking ship, her IPO visions for the company, and her mission to keep patients the priority. With Phase IIa ulcerative colitis data expected later this year, the question remains: will this Cinderella story endure? Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction02:00 – Judy’s journey: From to Ivy League and Big pharma all the way to biotech CEO 08:00 – Rebooting AltruBio: AB Genomics, rebrand, and pivot13:00 – Near-bankruptcy and the $63M Series A lifeline18:00 – Tough pipeline decisions: cutting staff, keeping one trial alive19:00 – GVHD data: survival benefit from 28 days to 180+ days20:00 – Building mode: second-generation antibody ALTB-26822:00 – Fundraising in tough markets and the $225M Series B25:00 – The unmet need in UC and promise of ALTB-26828:00 – Expansion potential beyond UC: dermatology, rheumatology, GVHD30:00 – Future outlook: IPO, partnerships, and Judy’s patient-first philosophy For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    32 min

  4. AUG 6

    S3, E2: The Biotech Bromance: Serial CEO and Investor’s 20‑Year Journey of Building Biotechs with Steve Butts, Arrivo Bio and Dave Adair, Solas BioVentures

    This episode of Raising Biotech takes a different turn — not just the story of a biotech, but of a partnership. Steve Butts, CEO of Arrivo BioVentures, and Dr. Dave Adair, Co‑Founder and Managing Partner of Solas BioVentures, have built ten companies together over nearly two decades. From Steve's first shaky startup pitch to Dave in San Francisco to major exits and a novel company‑building model, Surani explores their individual paths, their serendipitous meeting that kicked it all off, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way right up to their current venture, Arrivo BioVentures, which has raised over $100 million to be the first to tackle female depression. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro to a different kind of story: a founder–investor partnership 01:21 – The dinner that started it all 02:32 – Steve’s path from Eli Lilly to biotech startups 03:39 – Dave’s journey from OB‑GYN to angel investor 05:04 – Writing that first $750K check 08:48 – First exit: proof of concept for the partnership 09:40 – Scaling the model: 10 companies, 5 exits 10:38 – Aerial Biopharma and its $400M deal 12:07 – Launching Arrivo with capital first, assets second 14:54 – Structuring for flexibility: two subsidiaries, two assets 17:16 – A loyal investor base outside the usual big funds 19:18 – Forvisirvat: a “happy accident” in women’s depression 21:49 – Dave on why this matters for postpartum depression 23:05 – Reframing failure and challenging women’s health blind spots 25:25 – $45M Series B and a 450‑patient trial with cognitive endpoints 27:23 – Strategic options: M&A, IPO, or both 29:39 – Big pharma potential and broad applications 30:39 – The next five years for Steve and Dave For any comments, questions, feedback or suggestions you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    33 min

  5. JUL 2

    S3, E1: How Xaira Therapeutics went from incubation to a billion dollar launch - with Vik Bajaj, CEO Foresite Labs

    In this episode, we go inside the creation of Xaira Therapeutics — the biotech startup that raised over a billion dollars at launch without a product or clinical data. Speaking with Vik Bajaj, CEO and co-founder of Foresite Labs (and one of the people behind Xaira’s creation), Surani explores how Xaira’s approach could redefine biotech company building, why it’s different from typical AI hype, and what makes it such a bold bet. We follow Vik’s journey from academia to Google to Grail, and then into biotech investing with Foresite Labs, uncovering how a unique incubator model led to Xaira’s launch. From the big idea to the billion-dollar financing, we unpack what’s really happening behind the headlines. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Why Xaira’s billion-dollar launch matters 01:00 – Vik Bajaj’s journey from academia to Google and Grail 04:00 – Moving from big tech to biotech: lessons and perspective 06:00 – Founding Foresite Labs and its unique model for biotech incubation 08:00 – Why data generation is key in biotech AI 09:00 – Foresite’s approach: building data, tools, and teams from scratch 11:00 – The origins of Xaira: ideation, science, and assembling the team 13:00 – Bringing in David Baker’s advanced protein design technology 16:00 – Early team building and leveraging Grail and Illumina networks 17:00 – Xaira’s $1B+ fundraising: why it happened and what it means 20:00 – Why Xaira needed so much capital up front 21:30 – What separates Xaira from other AI drug discovery companies 22:30 – The ambition to build a foundation model of the cell (GPT for biology) 23:00 – De novo design: creating antibodies from scratch 24:30 – Building products and platforms in parallel — not sequentially 26:00 – Where Xaira is today and Foresite’s ongoing role 27:00 – Vik’s vision for success: timelines and goals for Xaira 28:00 – Reflections: Can Xaira’s model really change how biotech is built? 29:00 – Outro: What to watch next, and how to support the podcast For any comments, questions, feedback or suggestions you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    29 min

  6. JUL 2 · BONUS

    It's been a while! Season 3 update from Surani

    In this bonus episode, Surani shares an honest update on what’s been happening behind the scenes at Raising Biotech, why Season 3 took longer than planned, and what to expect going forward. From reflections on building the podcast solo to plans for the future, it’s a candid check-in for listeners who’ve been waiting patiently — and a thank you to everyone who’s supported the journey so far. Support Raising Biotech via the Patreon Page.

    7 min
  7. S2, E6: iOmx and shaking up the immuno-oncology field with CEO Apollon Papadimitriou, Professor Phillip Beckhove (RCI) and Jared Holz (Mizuho)

    06/18/2024

    S2, E6: iOmx and shaking up the immuno-oncology field with CEO Apollon Papadimitriou, Professor Phillip Beckhove (RCI) and Jared Holz (Mizuho)

    In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani finally delves into the scary zone of cancer with German biotech iOmx. The company has raised a total of EUR 115 million (Series A and B) since its inception in 2016 and is hoping to take immuno-oncology drug development to new heights. CEO Apollon Papadimitriou joins the podcast to speak about iOmx's unique mission with its iOTarg platform at the front and center, while scientific founder Professor Phillip Beckhove from the Regensburg Center of Interventional Immunology (RCI), also joins the conversation to take us back to iOmx's origins in the lab and what led his team to produce some groundbreaking research -- tackling tumor immune evasion -- which attracted heavy-hitter investors before the company was born. Apollon gives us details on ongoing clinical trials, detailed insight into some early and surprising efficacy signals coming out of the Phase I, and plans to initiate proof of concept (PoC) studies in various cancer indications. He also sheds more insight into imminent fundraising plans and potentially pulling the IPO trigger within the next two years. Jared Holz, Healthcare Equity Strategist at Mizuho also joins the podcast to give an outsider's take on iOmx's mission from a unique investor community lens. He discusses current gaps in the market, the potential attractiveness of iOmx pipeline and likely investor appetite should iOmx deliver compelling PoC datasets. Timestamps: 00:35 - Partner segment: Mindgram.ai 01:05 - CEO Apollon outlines iOmx's mission to level-up the field of immuno-oncology with its iOTarg platform 05:24 - Going back to iOTarg's origins with Professor Phillip Beckhove and tackling tumor resistance 08:55 - Presentation at AACR 2015 drew investor and pharma interest and led to €40 million Series A 11:04 - Early days of iOmx, Apollon's background and decision to join the company 13:47 - Animal data and biomarker drive investor interest 18:40 - Progress with lead product OMX407 in Phase I trials and surprising early efficacy signals 24:12 - Jared Holz gives his outside take on iOmx's potential amidst crowded and challenged IO landscape 26:50 - iOmx's near-term plans for Series C and potential IPO within 2 years 28:00 - Future strategic predictions and company visions for the future This episode is partnered with Mindgram.ai, a research tool powered by AI to better serve the biopharma community. Listeners of the Raising Biotech podcast are able to get an exclusive free trial of Mindgram via this link, using the code: raisingbiotech24 For any comments, questions, feedback or suggestions you can connect directly with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    33 min
  8. S2, E5: Cerevance and a new approach to Parkinson's disease with CEO Craig Thompson and CNS expert Prof Karl Kieburtz (URMC, Clintrex)

    06/11/2024

    S2, E5: Cerevance and a new approach to Parkinson's disease with CEO Craig Thompson and CNS expert Prof Karl Kieburtz (URMC, Clintrex)

    In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani delves into the world of CNS and Parkinson's disease with Cerevance. CEO Craig Thompson joins the podcast to speak about Cerevance's unique mission and use of its NETSseq platform to develop more targeted precision medicines for CNS diseases, particularly targeting the GPR6 receptor in Parkinson's disease. He speaks about the company's origins, its unique financing journey (close to $200 million since inception), what drove him to join during the company's growth phase, plans for upcoming clinical trials as well as a potential near-term IPO. Expert neurologist Dr Karl Kieburtz, the founder of advisory firm Clintrex and Professor in Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical School gives us his take on the general Parkinson's unmet need and Cerevance's unique mission to go beyond targeting the dopaminergic pathway. As a company advisor, Karl has a good understanding of the NETSseq platform and how targeting GPR6 might make a meaningful difference for Parkinsons' patients, but he also illustrates what challenges Cerevance will have to carefully navigate to avoid a crowded Parkinson's graveyard. Timestamps: 00:35 - Partner segment: Mindgram.ai 01:05 - Background on Cerevance's work in Parkinson's disease with its proprietary NETSseq platform 05:48 - Going beyond targeting the dopamine pathway to the GPR6 receptor - releasing the "break" on movement. 07:00 - Cerevance's origin story - Brad Margus and creating NETSeq with scientists from Rockefeller University 08:00 - Initial fundraising journey, CEO transition in growth phase and strategic financing for an eventual IPO 12:50 - Convincing investors on a intriguing yet scary CNS space riddled with failures 16:40 - CNS expert Dr Karl Kieburtz explains why Parkinson's is such a tough disease to treat and the original Levadopa breakthrough 18:50 - Scientific thesis of going beyond the dopaminergic pathway to tackle the GPR6 receptor 21:35 - Cerevance's clinical trial plans for CVN424 as a monotherapy and combination therapy with standard of care 24:13 - Navigating the many challenges associated with conducting a Parkinson's disease clinical trial 26:02 - Pricing considerations and benchmarks for "off-time" and non-motor improvement for successful reimbursement 29:45 - Cerevance's eventual wish to IPO and potential inflection points to pull the trigger 31:20 - Future visions for the company in 5 years time This episode is partnered with Mindgram.ai, a research tool powered by AI to better serve the biopharma community. Listeners of the Raising Biotech podcast are able to get an exclusive free trial of Mindgram via this link, using the code: raisingbiotech24 For any comments, questions, feedback or suggestions you can connect directly with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

    33 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

A narrative podcast series hosted by journalist Surani Fernando that goes beyond the headlines to explore how biotech companies are really built — from bold ideas and impressive fundraises to the science that could reshape healthcare. Surani speaks with founders, CEOs, investors, and experts to uncover origin stories, company missions, and the challenges of bringing ambitious discoveries to market. Through thoughtful, independent reporting, Raising Biotech examines what it really takes to turn breakthroughs into lasting impact for patients and the industry. For guest or sponsor pitches, please get in touch with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email raisingbiotech@gmail.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Surani Fernando
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Surani Fernando

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