Base to Base Biotech

This week, we have two interviews again. We talk about treating high blood pressure with CEO of George Medicines, Mark Mallon, and have a conversation with Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, about the field of radiotherapeutics.

Blood pressure

Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure and despite all the treatments already available, three in four remain uncontrolled. This is often because the traditional stepwise treatment approach stalls before reaching target blood pressure.

George Medicines believes its solution could help millions of patients achieve better outcomes, faster.

The company has developed the first and only triple combination pill for the initial treatment of high blood pressure. It’s available in unique low dose options, offering the power of combination therapy, with good tolerability, in a single pill — a paradigm shift in hypertension care. This drug is the first to be approved for use right at the start of treatment.

The company is a spinout from the George Institute for Global Health in Australia.

Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals sit at the intersection of nuclear medicine and precision therapy, offering a way to deliver radiation directly to tumours while sparing healthy tissue.

The next wave of oncology innovation is changing how we think about cancer therapy, but it comes with unique challenges—from isotope supply and manufacturing logistics to regulatory navigation and the race to harness rare isotopes like actinium-225.

Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, are leaders in this space, and they are our guests on the podcast today. Their company is developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals using proprietary platforms (Trillium and Macropa) designed to enhance tumour targeting and drug design.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we have two interviews. We chat with Step Pharma CEO, Andy Parker, and also have a conversation with Re-Vana CEO, Michael O’Rourke.

Ocular therapeutics

Re-Vana Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced a $1bn+ deal to develop long-acting ophthalmic therapies.

Re-Vana Therapeutics is a privately held, US and UK based developer of ocular therapeutics and innovative ocular drug delivery technologies which spun out of Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Terms of the deal include up to three development programmes per year leading to a potential total deal value exceeding $1bn contingent on milestone achievements. The agreement grants Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity, and provide for upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana.

Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release slowly over six to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce injection frequency.

Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.

Re-Vana’s is developing internal assets - a six-month sustained release aflibercept and a six-month bispecific – both photo-crosslinked, bio erodible and delivered in the clinic with no surgery.

Step Pharma takes on CTPS1

Step Pharma is taking a smart and focused approach to tackling cancers and blood disorders by targeting an enzyme called CTPS1, which plays a key role in how cells produce the building blocks of DNA and RNA.

The idea is simple but powerful: Cancer cells and certain immune cells rely heavily on CTPS1 to grow and survive. By selectively blocking this enzyme, Step’s lead candidate, dencatistat, deprives malignant cells of the raw materials they need to divide, while healthy cells are largely unaffected because they can fall back on a related enzyme called CTPS2. This selectivity is what makes the approach potentially safer and more effective than broader chemotherapy.

They have been moving quickly, expanding beyond blood cancers into solid tumours and a rare condition called essential thrombocythaemia, which causes overproduction of platelets.

We spoke with the company’s CEO, Andy Parker, about the work the company is doing.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we have two interviews: one to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, on osteosarcoma with Paul Romness from OS Therapies; and IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, talking about ovarian cancer, immunotherapy, covid, and more.

Interview times:

02:33 OS Therapies

23:03 IMUNON

Challenging osteosarcoma

OS Therapies is a clinical stage oncology company focused on the identification, development, and commercialisation of treatments for osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumours. OST-HER2, the company's lead asset, is an immunotherapy leveraging the immune-stimulatory effects of Listeria bacteria to initiate a strong immune response targeting the HER2 protein.

OST-HER2 has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Fast-Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency.

The company reported positive data in its phase 2b clinical trial of OST-HER2 in recurrent, fully resected, lung metastatic osteosarcoma, demonstrating statistically significant benefit in the 12-month event free survival (EFS) primary endpoint of the study.

Ovarian cancer, immunotherapy and more

IMUNON has two DNA-based technology platforms: TheraPlas and PlaCCine. They are designed to use DNA as a therapeutic to code for proteins, which the body can then use to produce medicine where needed.

TheraPlas is designed to harness interleukin-12 (IL-12), a powerful cytokine and well-validated target for cancer immunotherapy, to teach the body’s immune system to fight cancer at the tumour site.

PlaCCine is designed to prompt the body’s immune system to create a vaccine response against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 without needing a virus or device to deliver it.

IMUNON recently announced positive phase 2 data of its IL-12 immunotherapy (IMNN-001) based on TheraPlas technology in advanced ovarian cancer and is currently initiating a phase 3 trial.

Recent phase 1 data of its DNA-based vaccine (IMNN-101) leveraging PlaCCine technology in treatment of COVID-19 indicate that it may be a viable alternative to mRNA vaccines and able to target the Omicron variant as well as any emerging variants in the future, while offering advantages in terms of manufacturing and storage.

We spoke with IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, about the work the company is doing.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we have three interviews to mark Stand Up To Cancer Day. We have conversations with Simon Kerry, co-founder and CEO of Curve Therapeutics; Poolbeg Pharma CEO Jeremy Skillington; and Stefano Gulla, CSO of Kling Biotherapeutics.

Interview times:

03:12 Curve Therapeutics

21:32 Kling Bio

37:10 Poolbeg Pharma

Microcycles to address cancer

Curve Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company using its gene-encoded Microcycle discovery platform to build a pipeline of innovative cyclic peptide and small molecule drugs to address high priority intracellular disease targets, with an initial focus on cancer, immunology, and inflammation.

Addressing cancer treatment side effects

Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focussed on the development of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs.

The company's clinical programmes target large addressable markets including, cancer immunotherapy-induced cytokine release syndrome and metabolic conditions such as obesity with the development of an oral encapsulated glucagon-like peptide GLP-1R agonist.

The role of B-cells in beating cancer

Kling Biotherapeutics is a biotech company developing antibody-based drugs for cancer and infectious diseases.

Through its proprietary primary B-cell platform technologies, the company combines high-efficiency B-cell immortalization with functional, antibody-first screening to uncover novel antibody–antigen pairs.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we have an in-depth conversation on molecular glue degradation, with Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ chief data and information officer John Castle.

Interview time:

03:52 Monte Rosa Therapeutics

Molecular glue degradation

A recent cover article in Science showcased research that expands by more than 1,000 the number of therapeutic targets (including undruggables) accessible through a protein degradation approach known as molecular glue degradation.

Using proprietary AI and ML approaches, researchers from Monte Rosa Therapeutics used algorithms to identify more than 1,600 human proteins predicted to be compatible with cereblon (a protein with a central role in cellular protein degradation) binding.

This allowed them to fingerprint previously unrecognised surfaces capable of recruiting cereblon for targeted protein degradation. These proteins represent more than 100 different target classes and a broad range of protein domains.

The techniques and know-how that enabled these discoveries will substantially expand the scope of disease-associated proteins their platform can address, including many targets historically considered undruggable. Their pipeline is proof they can address these undruggable targets, which has been the long-heralded promise of protein degradation.

Molecular glue degraders (MGD) are a type of protein degrader but have additional beneficial properties and the potential to treat many diseases that other modalities, including other degraders, cannot.

They are a class of small molecules that promote the degradation of specific proteins by "gluing" them to E3 ubiquitin ligases, leading to their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we look at Herantis Pharma's work on Parkinson's disease, with the company's CEO, Antti Vuolanto, and we have an in-depth look at the recent cuts to mRNA vaccine projects, with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University.

Interview times:

03:22 Herantis

16:28 mRNA cuts

Cuts to mRNA vaccine projects

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a major shift in its vaccine development priorities, initiating a “co‑ordinated wind‑down” of mRNA vaccine projects under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The move cancels or scales back 22 contracts worth nearly $500m, affecting research partnerships with universities, biotech firms, and major pharmaceutical companies.

The cuts have sparked concern among scientists and public health experts, who note that mRNA technology was pivotal in the rapid development of COVID‑19 vaccines and has potential applications far beyond the pandemic. Critics warn that ending federal support could slow innovation in areas such as pandemic preparedness, cancer immunotherapy, and treatments for emerging infectious diseases. While some late‑stage contracts will be allowed to conclude to preserve prior taxpayer investment, no new mRNA‑based projects will be initiated under BARDA. The decision marks a significant re‑alignment of US vaccine R&D strategy, with future BARDA funding expected to focus on whole‑virus vaccines and other platforms with longer safety track records.

We have a wide-ranging discussion with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University, about the effect of the cuts.

Herantis takes on Parkinson’s disease

Herantis Pharma is a Finnish clinical-stage biotech developing disease-modifying therapies to stop Parkinson’s disease.

Its lead product HER-096, a first-in-class, subcutaneously administered therapy designed to stop—and potentially reverse—the progression of PD, with brain penetration already demonstrated. It is in the clinic (phase 1b) in PD patients which is also evaluating selected biomarkers to identify novel treatment response biomarkers and monitor symptoms in patients – topline data is expected in September.

Herantis is among a limited group of companies worldwide that are preparing for Phase 2 clinical trials with a drug candidate designed to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

HER-096 is a small peptide with a multi-modal MOA that targets key drivers of neurodegeneration: cell stress, protein misfolding, and inflammation, while achieving excellent brain penetration.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs. We also chat with Fibrobiologics’ CEO Pete O'Heeron about fibroblast spheroid technology.

Interview times:

03:49 FibroBiologics

21:26 SciY

SciY on the path to digitalisation

This week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs.

SciY offers a vendor-agnostic digitalisation platform and a wide range of software solutions for research, development, and manufacturing, enabling workflow integration, automation, digital transformation, and AI readiness.

SciY solutions integrate scientific instruments and automation hardware with their scientific data into a digital environment. Data is ingested, standardised, reused, and preserved according to the FAIR data principles, delivering maximum value with minimal effort and disruption.

FibroBiologics and fibroblast spheroid technology

Based in Houston, Texas, FibroBiologics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments and seeking potential cures for chronic diseases using fibroblast cells and fibroblast-derived materials.

FibroBiologics holds more than 275 US and international patents/patents pending across various clinical pathways, including wound healing, multiple sclerosis, disc degeneration, psoriasis, orthopedics, human longevity, and cancer.

The company is looking to create the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy and tissue regeneration.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we talk about new treatments for wet dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics, and there’s a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp Farma about, among other things, peanut allergies.

Interview times:

03:24 PulseSight

20:43 InnoUp

Tackling dry AMD

PulseSight Therapeutics SAS, an ophthalmology biotech company developing non-viral vectorised therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology, recently announced the first patient has been successfully dosed in its phase I clinical trial (PST-611-CT1) aiming to assess safety and tolerability of its lead programme, PST-611, in humans.

PST-611 is a first-in-class non-viral vectorized therapy for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/geographic atrophy (GA), expressing human transferrin, a highly potent iron regulator, playing a central role in restoring normal iron homeostasis.

AMD is the leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly, affecting 200m people worldwide. AMD's pathogenesis is complex, and the disease still represents a high unmet medical need. Dry AMD involves the dysregulation of iron homeostasis, leading to an excess of free iron causing highly toxic effects such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and ultimately retinal cell death (ferroptosis).

PST-611-CT1 is a first-in-human single ascending dose study that aims to establish, in six to a maximum of 12 dry AMD/GA patients, the safety profile of the drug and validate the maximal tolerated dose in view of the following phase IIa proof-of-concept trial. Preliminary results are anticipated early 2026, subject to patient recruitment.

Our conversation is with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics.

New ways to treat peanut allergies

InnoUp is a clinical stage company specialising in nanotechnology innovations and developing oral drug delivery solutions. It has developed a Nanoparticle Platform that is protected by international patents.

InnoUp has two programmes currently in the clinical stage: an oral peanut allergy vaccine (INP20) and an oral Paclitaxel to treat breast cancer (INP12).

We have a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, we talk about drug discovery with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix Inc., and Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA.

Interview times:

03:53 Elix

20:58 CytoAgents

Elix drug discovery platform

AI drug discovery company Elix, Inc. and the Life Intelligence Consortium (LINC) have announced that for the first time in the world, an AI drug discovery platform has been commercialized that incorporates multiple AI models trained using federated learning on data provided by 16 pharmaceutical companies.

The key to AI drug discovery lies in high-quality and sufficiently large datasets. Diverse and abundant data are indispensable for building superior AI models; however, pharmaceutical companies are generally limited to utilizing their own proprietary data and public datasets, resulting in significant data shortages that have posed major challenges to progress.

Federated learning technology provides a solution to this challenge. Elix, in partnership with the Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, developed the federated learning library kMoL, enabling multiple companies to collaboratively develop a suite of AI models without disclosing their confidential data externally. Sixteen pharmaceutical companies participated in building these learning-based models, which are now implemented on Elix Discovery, Elix’s proprietary AI drug discovery platform.

By introducing Elix Discovery, users can leverage these newly developed models, and several pharmaceutical companies have already adopted the platform. The initiative marks the world’s first commercialisation of an AI drug discovery platform in partnership with numerous pharmaceutical companies utilising federated learning.

Our conversation is with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix.

CAR-T, CRS and the FDA

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary marked his first 100 days with a media tour and series of “bold” announcements.

One was that the FDA has eliminated the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for six CAR T-cell (CART) immunotherapies, citing growing evidence that the treatments can be safely managed without additional regulatory oversight.

While many support this decision since it has the potential to broaden the use of CART therapies, the black box warning for the risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities remains. CRS continues to have a massive impact on patients and poses a threat to widespread uptake of CART therapy. CRS develops in up to 95% of cancer patients treated with CART therapies and up to 50% of those patients are at risk of developing Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) leading to extended hospital stays, inability for systems to onboard additional patients, and significant expense to care for these patients.

CytoAgents is a company focused on the development of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening symptoms associated with CRS.

We have a conversation with Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA announcement.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]

This week, our conversations are with Wenyan Leong, director of APAC commercial and global strategic partnerships for cell and gene therapies at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, and Morten Graugaard, CEO of Orbis Medicines.

Interview times:

04:01 Terumo BCT

24:52 Orbis Medicines

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies shows integrated 3-in-1 CAR-T workflow with quantum platform

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, recently published a new protocol in a paper demonstrating expanded capabilities for its quantum system to unlock rapid CAR-T cell expansion.

The protocol consolidates the processes of T cell activation, lentiviral vector transduction and expansion of CAR-T cells in a single Quantum system, simplifying procedures that have been highly variable and dependent on a skilled workforce. The protocol demonstrated enhancement in manufacturing efficiency, with a two-fold increase in transduction efficiency over manual culture and the ability to consistently produce more than 12bn CAR-T cells in 7 to 8 days.

Terumo BCT’s products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Its customers include blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell collection and processing organisations, researchers and private medical practices.

Orbis pushes macrocycles to the fore

Morten Graugaard, formerly a partner at Novo Holdings, is now CEO of Orbis Medicines.

Orbis combines big data, AI and a big vision of making a class of molecules, macrocycles, reliably designable for the first time.

The company launched last year and closed a Series A for a total of €116m in funding so far to usher in a new era of macrocycle drug development.

To date, discovery of macrocycles, a class of cyclic peptides, has yielded transformative drugs but the complexity and diversity of these molecules have thwarted attempts at designing them from scratch. To overcome this challenge, Orbis' technology generates and tests vast numbers of macrocycle permutations with incredible speed, generating huge data sets that are fed into AI as real-life training data.

Orbis' computational tools sift the data to find needles in an infinite haystack – macrocycles of the perfect size and structure to do the job of injectable drugs – but in the form of a pill.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]