『Raising Biotech』のカバーアート

Raising Biotech

Raising Biotech

著者： Surani Fernando
無料で聴く

A narrative podcast series hosted by journalist Surani Fernando that goes beyond the headlines to explore how biotech companies are really built — from bold ideas and impressive fundraises to the science that could reshape healthcare. Surani speaks with founders, CEOs, investors, and experts to uncover origin stories, company missions, and the challenges of bringing ambitious discoveries to market. Through thoughtful, independent reporting, Raising Biotech examines what it really takes to turn breakthroughs into lasting impact for patients and the industry. For guest or sponsor pitches, please get in touch with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email raisingbiotech@gmail.com.Surani Fernando 生物科学 科学 経済学
エピソード
  • S4, E8: Infinimmune – From a Scientific Hunch to an $838M Merck Partnership, with CEO and co-founder Wyatt McDonnell

    S4, E8: Infinimmune – From a Scientific Hunch to an $838M Merck Partnership, with CEO and co-founder Wyatt McDonnell
    2026/09/03
    In this episode, Surani explores the unconventional start-up story of Infinimmune, an antibody discovery company founded in 2022 by five former 10x Genomics scientists. Starting with a scientific hunch that advances in single-cell sequencing were revealing previously overlooked antibody biology, the team went from debating ideas in a tiny California office to raising a $12 million seed round in just three months. Four years later, Infinimmune has raised close to $90 million, built its own pipeline of antibody drugs and signed a multi-target discovery partnership with Merck worth up to $838 million. Surani speaks with co-founder and CEO Wyatt McDonnell about his journey from academia to 10x Genomics, the scientific observations that led him to question what he'd been taught about antibody biology, and why he ultimately decided there was a company to build around them. Wyatt discusses bringing together five former colleagues, raising capital early in his career, building Infinimmune's discovery platform, and how the team earned the trust of Merck. Timestamps 00:00 – From a scientific hunch to an $838M Merck deal02:00 – Infinimmune's human-first approach to antibody discovery04:00 – Wyatt McDonnell's journey from academia to 10x Genomics09:00 – How COVID changed the trajectory of Wyatt's research11:00 – Questioning the textbooks and uncovering overlooked antibody biology13:00 – Turning a scientific observation into a biotech company16:00 – Raising a $12M seed round in just three months17:00 – What investors made of five 10x scientists starting a company together21:00 – Building the platform much faster than expected22:00 – How Infinimmune built credibility with Merck25:00 – Landing a partnership worth up to $838M26:00 – The $75M Series A and what comes next27:00 – Partnerships, M&A, IPOs and thinking about an eventual exit For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yurii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)
    続きを読む 一部表示
    30 分
  • S4, E7: From the Archive – Revisiting Synchron and Brain-Computer Interfaces, 2 Years Later

    S4, E7: From the Archive – Revisiting Synchron and Brain-Computer Interfaces, 2 Years Later
    2026/07/01
    In this July summer episode, we slow things down again and revisit a conversation from the Raising Biotech archive. Today's episode is a replay from November 2023, featuring Synchron, a company developing implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore communication and digital independence for people living with severe paralysis. At the time, brain-computer interfaces sat somewhere between science fiction and early clinical reality. There were only a handful of companies pursuing implantable BCIs, and while the technology showed enormous promise, major questions remained around safety, regulation and commercial adoption. While there's still a long way to go, this episode is presented as a snapshot in time, a chance to revisit what we thought mattered in late 2023, what we knew and didn't yet know, and how quickly both the technology and the broader landscape have evolved. This episode is completely unedited, before the replay, Surani shares a short reflection on why it's worth listening back now. At the end of the episode, she briefly recaps some of the key developments since the original recording. Original recording date: November 2023 Intro & postscript recorded: July 2026 For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yurii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)
    続きを読む 一部表示
    38 分
  • S4, E6: Investor Spotlight: From Cancer Physician to Biotech Investor, with Dr Jakob Dupont of Sofinnova Investments

    S4, E6: Investor Spotlight: From Cancer Physician to Biotech Investor, with Dr Jakob Dupont of Sofinnova Investments
    2026/06/03
    In this special Investor Spotlight edition of Raising Biotech, Surani sits down with Dr. Jakob Dupont, Executive Partner at Sofinnova Investments, to explore one of the most unusual career trajectories in biotech. Before becoming a venture investor, Dupont spent decades as a physician, cancer researcher, biotech executive, and drug developer, helping bring therapies from the laboratory all the way to patients. From Memorial Sloan Kettering to Genentech, Roche, OncoMed, Gossamer Bio and Atara Biotherapeutics, his career spans nearly every corner of the drug development ecosystem. The conversation explores what investors are really looking for when evaluating biotech companies, why unmet need and clinical strategy matter as much as the science itself, and how Sofinnova approaches investing in clinical-stage therapeutics. Dupont also shares examples from Sofinnova's portfolio, including Avenzo Therapeutics and Capstan Therapeutics, before discussing the future of biotech, the rise of new therapeutic modalities, AI-enabled drug development, and why the industry's next challenge may be developing medicines quickly enough to keep pace with innovation. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction: Why this Investor Spotlight is different 02:00 — Growing up in a family of doctors and finding a passion for cancer research 04:00 — Leaving academia for Genentech and the transition into industry 05:00 — A career across Genentech, Roche, OncoMed, Gossamer Bio and Atara 06:00 — Why venture investing felt like a natural next step 10:00 — Sofinnova Investments: strategy, structure, and investing in clinical-stage biotech 15:00 — What investors really look for: unmet need, science, clinical strategy, and teams 19:00 — Avenzo Therapeutics: backing experienced operators and oncology innovation 22:00 — Capstan Therapeutics: betting on in vivo CAR-T before the market caught on 24:00 — The future of biotech, AI, and the challenge of accelerating drug development For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with Surani Fernando on LinkedIn or email: raisingbiotech@gmail.com Title music composed by: Yurii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)
    続きを読む 一部表示
    30 分
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
まだレビューはありません