In this episode of IDEA Collider, hosts Mike and Rick revisit a pivotal project from over a decade ago, the Reblozyl project, undertaken in collaboration with Acceleron and Celgene. Rick, the head of Growth and Innovation at IDEA, reminisces about the early days leading to the successful positioning and market shaping of luspatercept across different hematological indications. The episode features insightful contributions from Robin, Jane, and Tracy, key players from Acceleron and Celgene, who share their experiences and the collaborative efforts that enabled them to redefine the market. The discussion covers the strategic approach to overcoming competitive benchmarking, the importance of a unified messaging strategy, and the critical role of internal and external collaboration. They also reflect on the impact of their efforts on the lives of many patients and offer advice for future teams working on complex drug development projects. The episode concludes with a recognition of the rare and valuable collaborative human elements that drove the success of the Reblozyl project.

Episode Timestamps;

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:27 Rick's Background and Project Overview

02:31 Client Team Introductions

05:32 Collaboration and Challenges

13:29 Defining the Mechanism and Market Positioning

23:52 Communication and Alignment

27:48 Navigating Internal and External Communication

33:15 Launch, Reflections, and Lessons Learned

41:14 Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements

Keep up with the guests;

• Robyn Blackburn - Director Global Commercial Strategy CAR-T at Kite Pharma
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-blackburn-805b8b13/
• Jayne Butler - Director of Strategic Initiatives at Fingerpaint Branding
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynebutler/
• Tracey Sacco - Former SVP Global Strategic Marketing at Acceleron
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-sacco-53 2a034/
• Rick Ritacco - Head of Growth and Innovation
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/rritacco/

Follow Mike Rea On;

Website: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/

X: https://x.com/ideapharma

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigidea/

Listen to more fantastic podcast episodes: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/

In this episode of IDEA Collider, host Mike Rea speaks with Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, founder of Verve Therapeutics and now part of Eli Lilly, about one of the boldest ideas in modern medicine: using one-time gene editing to permanently lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.

Dr. Kathiresan shares his journey from immigrant upbringing to Harvard cardiologist, genetic researcher, biotech founder, and now leader inside a global pharmaceutical company. The conversation explores how human genetics, CRISPR base editing, lipid nanoparticle delivery, and asymmetric learning converged to create a potential lifelong solution to cardiovascular disease.

They also dive deep into the ethics of gene editing, global access and pricing, early intervention versus chronic care, FDA regulatory challenges, and what the Verve–Lilly acquisition means for the future of cardiometabolic medicine.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in biotech innovation, gene therapy, cardiovascular disease, and the future of preventive medicine.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:16 Sekar Kathiresan's Early Life and Education

03:19 Founding Verve and Transition to Entrepreneurship

05:35 The Science Behind Verve's Mission

10:27 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Gene Editing

20:05 Regulatory Hurdles and First Human Trials

25:11 Ethical Considerations in Gene Editing

27:06 Introduction to Drug Delivery and Ethical Considerations

27:51 Historical Context and Pioneers in Medical Procedures

28:35 Commercial and Ethical Challenges in Medicine

29:32 Innovations in Cardiovascular Treatments

32:49 The Role of Gene Editing in Long-term Health

37:55 Strategic Partnerships and Industry Insights

45:08 Reflections on the US Medical Ecosystem

48:54 Conclusion and Future Outlook

Keep up with Sekar Kathiresan;

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sekar-sek-kathiresan-3501846/

Website: https://www.lilly.com/

Follow Mike Rea On;

Website: https://www.ideapharma.com/

X: https://x.com/ideapharma

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigidea/

Listen to more fantastic podcast episodes: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/

In this episode of IDEA Collider, we are joined by Alex Telford, a biotech founder, writer, and thinker based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the co-founder of Convoke Bio, Alex discusses his journey from studying biochemistry at UCL to founding a company that develops software tools for streamlining biopharmaceutical workflows.

The conversation dives into the impact of AI and language models on the biotech industry, addressing inefficiencies in drug development, and exploring the potential of synthetic biology and personalized medicine. The discussion also touches on the future of drug discovery, China's role in biotech, and the challenges of understanding neuroscience and consciousness. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the future of biopharma innovation!

00:00 Welcome to Idea Collider

00:04 Introducing Alex Telford

01:59 Alex's Journey from UCL to Convoke Bio

05:29 The Mission and Work of Convoke Bio

07:57 Challenges in Pharma Decision Making

14:05 The Role of AI in Pharma

18:26 Knowledge Management and AI

27:58 Staying Updated in the Fast-Moving AI Field

30:25 AI's Impact on Industry Economics

31:38 AI in Clinical Trials and Drug Development

35:56 China's Role in Drug Discovery

39:24 Neuroscience and AI: Blurring the Lines

46:05 Future Predictions in Pharma

51:20 Addressing Cognitive Bias in Pharma

53:13 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions

Keep up with Alex Telford;

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-telford/

Website: atelfo.github.io

X: https://twitter.com/atelfo

Substack: atelfo.substack.com

Follow Mike Rea On;

Website: https://www.ideapharma.com/

X: https://x.com/ideapharma

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigidea/

Listen to more fantastic podcast episodes: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/