Fundraising, platform leverage, and the relationships that make biotech move.

BLPN Series | Episode 4 of 4

As JPM week approaches, we close the BLPN Series with a founder conversation that sits right at the intersection of science, capital, and the human reality of building.

Deborah and Karim are joined by Regina Leung, CEO of Sylamore Bio, a gene therapy company advancing rare disease programs while building a CNS delivery platform designed to cross the blood-brain barrier. Regina shares how Silimot is using a dual-track strategy: moving a lead rare-disease indication toward the clinic while leveraging platform partnerships to validate the tech, generate revenue, and de-risk development.

The conversation gets practical about what “raising in a hard market” actually looks like: why platform companies are often misunderstood, why chasing buzzwords backfires, and why founders are better served by 10 high-quality conversations than “a thousand frogs.” We also unpack the operational side—how to scale a team carefully, avoid hiring mistakes, and stay disciplined when partnership milestones demand more capacity.

We end where biotech always ends: with patients. Regina shares a sobering reminder of what’s at stake in ultra-rare disease—and why optimism isn’t naïve when it’s paired with execution, humility, and community.

This episode is about staying authentic, building the right relationships, and remembering that delivery—of drugs, of leadership, of help—wins.