エピソード

  • How Biotech Startups Are Using Base Editing to Treat Genetic Disease

    How Biotech Startups Are Using Base Editing to Treat Genetic Disease
    2026/06/07
    Base editing is a newer gene-editing technology that can change a single DNA letter without cutting the double helix. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are applying base editing to treat genetic diseases like sickle cell disease and progeria. They discuss the story of Beam Therapeutics, the first company to take a base editor into clinical trials, and contrast base editing with both traditional CRISPR and newer prime editing. The hosts break down the science behind adenine and cytosine base editors, the business of licensing foundational IP from the Broad Institute, and the regulatory path for in vivo therapies. They also touch on the ethical considerations and what this means for patients with currently untreatable conditions. Specific numbers: Beam's lead program in sickle cell disease, the estimated patient population, and the timeline for early-phase data. This episode is for anyone interested in the frontier of precision genetic medicine beyond CRISPR-Cas9. #BaseEditing #GeneEditing #BeamTherapeutics #SickleCellDisease #Progeria #DavidLiu #BroadInstitute #PrimeEditing #CRISPR #PrecisionMedicine #GeneticDisease #AdenineBaseEditor #CytosineBaseEditor #BiotechStartups #FDA #ClinicalTrials #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Biotech Startups Are Using Liquid Biopsies for Early Cancer Detection

    How Biotech Startups Are Using Liquid Biopsies for Early Cancer Detection
    2026/06/06
    Episode 35 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into the world of liquid biopsies — blood tests that detect tumor DNA before symptoms appear. Lucas and Luna discuss how startups like Guardant Health and Grail are driving this technology, the science of circulating tumor DNA, and why regulatory shifts in 2026 are accelerating adoption. They also explore the economics: how liquid biopsies could cut screening costs by 60% and what that means for insurers. A compelling look at a field that's reshaping oncology from the ground up. #LiquidBiopsy #CancerDetection #GuardantHealth #Grail #CirculatingTumorDNA #EarlyCancerDetection #Oncology #BiotechStartups #FDAApprovals #PrecisionMedicine #LungCancer #ColorectalCancer #Diagnostics #BloodTest #Genomics #HealthcareInnovation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use Antibody Drug Conjugates to Treat Cancer

    How Biotech Startups Use Antibody Drug Conjugates to Treat Cancer
    2026/06/06
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the science and business behind antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a targeted cancer therapy that combines monoclonal antibodies with potent chemotherapy. They unpack the case of Enhertu, an ADC developed by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, which has shown remarkable efficacy in HER2-positive cancers. The hosts discuss how ADCs work like 'guided missiles' for cancer cells, the engineering challenges of linker technology, and the deal-making landscape around ADCs. They also highlight the growing interest from big pharma in ADC platforms, with more than 100 ADCs in clinical trials as of mid-2026. Lucas shares data on the ADC market, projected to exceed $30 billion by 2030, while Luna questions whether these therapies can overcome toxicity limitations. The episode ties in the broader trend of biologics and targeted drug delivery, offering listeners a concrete understanding of a technology that is reshaping oncology treatment. #AntibodyDrugConjugates #ADC #CancerTherapy #Oncology #Biotech #DrugDiscovery #TargetedTherapy #Enhertu #DaiichiSankyo #AstraZeneca #MonoclonalAntibodies #LinkerTechnology #Payload #HER2 #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use AI to Personalize Cancer Vaccines

    How Biotech Startups Use AI to Personalize Cancer Vaccines
    2026/06/05
    Episode 33 of Biotech Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna dive into the emerging field of personalized cancer vaccines. They focus on a specific case: how the startup Neon Therapeutics (now part of BioNTech) developed a neoantigen vaccine pipeline using AI to predict which mutations on a patient's tumor are most likely to trigger an immune response. The hosts walk through the key number: a phase 1 trial showed that 60% of patients with advanced melanoma had a T-cell response against their own tumor's neoantigens after receiving a personalized vaccine. Lucas explains the computational challenge—analyzing a patient's whole-exome sequencing data within weeks—and how platforms like Moderna's mRNA-4157 are now combining vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors. Luna asks tough questions about scalability, manufacturing costs (currently estimated at $100,000–$200,000 per dose), and whether the model can work for solid tumors beyond melanoma. They also touch on the FDA's recent guidance on neoantigen vaccines issued in March 2026. This episode is a deep look at how AI, genomics, and immunotherapy are converging to make truly individualized medicine a commercial reality. #PersonalizedCancerVaccines #Neoantigens #AIinBiotech #NeonTherapeutics #BioNTech #Moderna #CheckpointInhibitors #Melanoma #Immunotherapy #WholeExomeSequencing #PrecisionMedicine #ClinicalTrials #FDA #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BiotechBusiness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use Adaptive Trial Designs

    How Biotech Startups Use Adaptive Trial Designs
    2026/06/05
    Episode 32 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into adaptive clinical trial designs — a statistical approach that lets biotech startups modify trial parameters mid-study based on interim data. Lucas and Luna explore how this flexibility saves time and money, using the example of a mid-stage oncology trial that cut enrollment by 40% without sacrificing statistical power. They discuss Bayesian vs. frequentist methods, the FDA's adaptive design guidance (updated in 2023), and why small biotechs are leading adoption over Big Pharma. Specific numbers: how an adaptive Phase 2 trial can reduce sample size by 30–50% and shorten development timelines by 12–18 months. The episode also covers risks like operational bias and regulatory scrutiny. A concrete case: how a startup using adaptive basket trials tested three drugs simultaneously in biomarker-defined subgroups. Perfect for founders, investors, and anyone curious about smarter clinical development. #AdaptiveTrialDesign #ClinicalTrials #BiotechStartup #FDA #BayesianStatistics #DrugDevelopment #OncologyTrials #BasketTrial #PlatformTrial #Phase2 #Biostatistics #RareDisease #PrecisionMedicine #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LifeSciences Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How Biotech Startups Are Using Quantum Computing for Drug Discovery

    How Biotech Startups Are Using Quantum Computing for Drug Discovery
    2026/06/04
    In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are beginning to leverage quantum computing to accelerate drug discovery. They discuss the specific problem quantum computers are good at — simulating molecular interactions that classical computers struggle with — and highlight real companies like Menten AI and ProteinQure that are already running quantum chemistry calculations. The hosts explain the difference between noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices and fault-tolerant quantum computers, and why today's hybrid classical-quantum algorithms matter for drug developers in 2026. They also touch on the race between pharma giants like Roche and JPMorgan's quantum investments, and the funding landscape for quantum-native biotech. A concrete look at a cutting-edge intersection of physics, biology, and computing. #QuantumComputing #DrugDiscovery #BiotechStartups #MentenAI #ProteinQure #NISQ #QuantumChemistry #MolecularSimulation #PharmaInnovation #Roche #JPMorgan #HybridAlgorithms #ComputationalBiology #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #StartupFunding #DrugDevelopment #BiotechBusiness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use Continuous Manufacturing to Cut Drug Costs

    How Biotech Startups Use Continuous Manufacturing to Cut Drug Costs
    2026/06/04
    For decades, drug manufacturing has been done in batches — a slow, expensive process that adds billions to healthcare costs. But a growing number of biotech startups are switching to continuous manufacturing, where ingredients flow through a closed system 24/7, producing drugs faster, cheaper, and more consistently. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how continuous manufacturing works, why the FDA is encouraging it, and which startups are leading the charge. They look at a specific case: how a small biotech called Continuus Pharmaceuticals cut production time for a common hypertension drug from weeks to hours, and how the approach could lower the cost of gene therapies and biologics. They also discuss the challenges — high upfront capital, regulatory hurdles, and the need for specialized talent — and why some incumbents are still reluctant to abandon batch processing. If these conversations are useful for what you're building or running, stick around for a quick honest moment about how this show stays ad-free. #ContinuousManufacturing #Biotech #DrugManufacturing #Pharmaceuticals #FDA #GenericDrugs #GeneTherapy #Biologics #CostReduction #Startups #ContinuusPharmaceuticals #BatchProcessing #RegulatoryScience #Business #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #BiotechBusiness #LifeSciences Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How Gene Writing Could Replace Gene Editing

    How Gene Writing Could Replace Gene Editing
    2026/06/03
    Lucas and Luna explore a emerging biotech technology called gene writing — a platform that writes new genetic code directly into the genome, unlike CRISPR which cuts DNA. They focus on the startup Tessera Therapeutics, which has raised over $500 million to develop this approach. The episode explains how gene writing works, why it could be safer and more versatile than CRISPR for certain applications, and where it stands in preclinical development as of June 2026. They also touch on the key technical challenge: delivering the gene-writing machinery into the right cells. A concrete example: treating sickle cell disease by rewriting the faulty hemoglobin gene in a patient's own blood stem cells. The conversation balances scientific promise with realistic timelines, noting that human clinical trials are likely still two to three years away. #GeneWriting #TesseraTherapeutics #CRISPR #GeneEditing #SickleCellDisease #Biotech #DrugDiscovery #TherapeuticDelivery #AAV #LNP #PrimeEditing #BaseEditing #GenomeEngineering #FlagshipPioneering #CellTherapy #BiotechBusiness #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分