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“I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, but when I couldn’t find a company doing what I believed in, I built my own.”
In part two of our conversation with Kate Yen, Founder and CEO of Auron Therapeutics, we explore her journey from leading a novel cancer therapy program at Agios to founding her own biotech company. 
Kate shares insights into drug development, clinical trials, and the business of biotech, highlighting the importance of translational biology, strategic partnerships, and lean operations in building a successful biotech startup. 
Kate earned her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from UCLA, where she also completed her postdoc. Before Auron, she held roles at Merck and as a UCLA professor before joining Agios Pharmaceuticals, where she led the IDH translational research team behind two FDA-approved IDH mutant inhibitors and co-led the discovery of vorasidenib, a promising glioma therapy now in clinical development.
Key topics covered:

• Navigating clinical trials from discovery to FDA approval with a biomarker-driven approach
• The importance of translational biology and how Auron integrates it from day one
• Building a lean biotech startup, from early fundraising to assembling a high-impact team
• Securing big pharma partnerships in a challenging biotech market
• Leveraging AI and machine learning to map cancer biology and identify new drug targets

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Find our guest, Kate Yen, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-yen-448b22108/Website: https://www.aurontx.com/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about ExcedrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Resources & articles mentioned:The Role of Translational Biology in Drug Development: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359644612004060Navigating Clinical Trials: https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-drug-and-device-approvals/drug-development-processBuilding & Running a Lean Biotech Startup: https://www.lablaunch.org/post/building-a-lean-biotech-startupBiotech Startup Fundraising Options: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsBiotech Partnerships - How Partnerships Support R&D: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-researchHow to Bootstrap Your Biotech Startup & Scale: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-bootstrap-biotech-startupHow to Choose the Right CRO for Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/blog/contract-research-organizationsHow Much Does Lab Space Cost? https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-much-does-lab-space-costTop VC Firms for Biotech in 2024 - Supporting Innovation & Growth: https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-vc-firms-for-biotech50 Biotech Seed & Angel Investors to Check Out in 2025: https://www.excedr.com/blog/biotech-seed-and-angel-investors
Companies & people mentioned:Auron Therapeutics: https://www.aurontx.com/Merck: https://www.merck.com/Agios Pharmaceuticals: https://www.agios.com/UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/Princeton University: https://www.princeton.edu/Charles Sawyers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_SawyersLew Cantley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_C._CantleyDavid Schenkein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schenkein-md-45342476/Mike Carey: https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/members/michael-careyRuben Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reuben-shaw-1b8611109/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:10 Kate Yen’s transition into leadership at Agios05:39 Navigating clinical trials and biomarker-driven decision-making10:29 The importance of translational biology in drug development14:19 Taking the leap to start Auron Therapeutics18:36 Raising early funding and building a lean biotech startup26:41 Leveraging AI and machine learning in cancer drug discovery30:58 Running a biotech startup with a sustainable and transparent culture41:07 Fundraising strategies to expanding Auron’s platform beyond oncology47:08 Closing questions for Kate49:35 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.