Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Between the Biotech Waves

Today’s episode features a remarkable leader in the field of gene therapy, Dr. Bobby Gaspar. With over 25 years of experience as a physician and scientist, Bobby has played a pivotal role in redefining treatment options for severe genetic disorders.
As the co-founder and current CEO of Orchard Therapeutics, recently acquired by Kyowa Kirin, Bobby has been at the forefront of advancing gene therapy, particularly in hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. His groundbreaking work includes some of the earliest studies in patients suffering from severe primary immune deficiencies, propelling these therapies into late-stage clinical trials and bringing hope to countless patients around the world.
Recently recognized on the inaugural TIME100 Health list in 2024, Bobby holds a dual role as a Venture Partner with F-Prime Capital in London, further showcasing his strategic vision in the biotech landscape. His leadership extends beyond Orchard, as he chairs the board of directors at Eligo Biosciences.
An honorary professor of pediatrics and immunology at the University College London, Bobby is dedicated to improving diagnosis and treatment for conditions like metachromatic leukodystrophy through innovative screening and education initiatives.
Join us as we explore Bobby's inspiring journey, his insights into the future of gene therapy, and the ways he is influencing human health on a global scale.

I am thrilled to welcome Steve Paul to Between the Biotech Waves.
With nearly 50 years of experience as a physician-scientist, Steve has made significant contributions to the fields of neuroscience, molecular neuropharmacology, and CNS drug discovery and development. He is the scientific co-founder of Sage Therapeutics, where he played a key role as the interim head of Research and Development during its formative stages which ultimately led to the approval of the first drug for postpartum depression. Additionally, he co-founded Voyager Therapeutics, a pioneering company in CNS gene therapy, and served as its president and CEO.
Steve’s leadership extends to Karuna Pharmaceuticals, where he served as CEO and chairman, developing groundbreaking treatments for schizophrenia and dementia-related psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease. This innovative work culminated in the company’s sale to Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2023 for an impressive $14 billion.
Previously, Steve directed the Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College and is currently a professor of psychiatry and neurology at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. His distinguished career also includes 17 years at Eli Lilly, where he held multiple leadership roles, including Executive Vice President for Science and Technology and President of Lilly Research Laboratories. Before his time at Lilly, he spent 18 years at the National Institutes of Health, serving as the scientific director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
Steve's remarkable contributions have earned him numerous prestigious awards, and he has actively participated in many committees and advisory boards throughout his career. He is the author or co-author of over 550 scientific papers and book chapters, solidifying his impact on the field.
Currently, Steve serves as a Venture Partner at Third Rock Ventures and is the recent founder of Seaport Therapeutics.
Join me as we explore Steve’s extraordinary journey and gain insights into the future of neuroscience and drug development. 

Today, I are excited to welcome Kent Rogers, the Chief Executive Officer of EveryONE Medicines. Kent brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having held executive leadership positions at renowned pharmaceutical companies as well as emerging biotech firms. With over 30 years of expertise in brand and generic pharmaceuticals, specialty pharmacy, and healthcare supply chain management, Kent has been at the forefront of developing disruptive solutions that enhance access to new medicines targeting critical disease states.
His leadership at EveryONE Medicines focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of individualized precision therapeutics, particularly for children facing rare and ultra-rare diseases. In addition to his role at EveryONE Medicines, Kent is a Venture Partner at ARCH Venture Partners and serves on the board of SlateRx, highlighting his commitment to advancing healthcare initiatives.
Join us as we discuss Kent's extensive career, his vision for EveryONE Medicines, and the innovative strategies he employs to create pathways for access to life-changing therapies. Whether you're a professional in the biotech field or just interested in the future of medicine, this episode promises to be insightful and inspiring. 

Sound Bite with Bill Hicks looking at the market and financing in real time.

Welcome to a Between the Biotech Waves sound bite, a short podcast to provide insight into the rapidly changing biotech environment - I am pleased to welcome Paul Matteis Managing Director, Head of Therapeutics Equity Research in Biotech at Stifel to discuss the current market dynamics affecting our biotech industry. RECORDED April 7th 2025

In this episode, I am thrilled to welcome Dan Lynch, an Executive Venture Partner at Google Ventures and a seasoned leader in the biotechnology sector.
Since joining GV in 2021, Dan has partnered with life sciences CEOs and executives, providing invaluable guidance as a trusted advisor and coach. His commitment to fostering long-term relationships underscores his belief that collaboration is essential in an industry filled with talented people.
Dan brings a wealth of experience, having worked with numerous biopharmaceutical companies, including notable names like ImClone, where he served as CEO and CFO. Under his leadership, ImClone achieved a remarkable turnaround and secured FDA approval for the groundbreaking cancer treatment ERBITUX®.
With a focus on placing patients at the center of every initiative, Dan emphasizes the importance of impact and community in the biotech landscape. He currently serves on the boards of several innovative companies and has a rich history of successful investments and partnerships.
Join us as we dive into Dan’s insights into the world of biotechnology, the importance of collaboration, his experience turning around ImClone and what it truly means to prioritize patient impact in this ever-evolving field.

In today's episode, I am honored to welcome Stanley Crooke, the founder and CEO of Ionis Pharmaceuticals the first and leading antisense oligonucleotide biotech and founder, CEO and Chair of N-Lorem, a not for profit entity developing ASOs for ultra rare diseases. Stan is THE pioneer in the field of antisense oligonucleotide based RNA-targeted therapies. With a deep passion for science and innovation, Stan has dedicated his career to transforming the landscape of drug discovery and development, resulting in groundbreaking therapies that address some of the most challenging diseases.
Stan's journey in biotechnology is truly inspiring, he comes from a humble beginning in Indianapolis, he was the first in his family to graduate high school, following which he studied pharmacy and ultimately went on to obtain an MD and PhD, following which he embarked on a path that united his clinical expertise with cutting-edge research. Under his leadership, Ionis has become a leader in the development of antisense oligonucleotide technology, paving the way for new treatments for genetic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and many others.
Throughout his career, Stan has emphasized the importance of collaboration and scientific rigor, and he has been instrumental in fostering partnerships that drive innovation in the industry. Join us as we explore Stan Crooke’s remarkable journey, his vision for the future of biotechnology, and the impact of Ionis Pharmaceuticals on patients worldwide.

Welcome to ‘Between the Biotech Waves,’ the podcast where we navigate the dynamic world of biotechnology and explore the minds driving its innovation. I’m your host, Nessan Bermingham, and today, we have a true visionary in the field, Peter Barrett.
Peter is a partner at Atlas Venture, where he has been a key player in the creation of numerous novel therapeutic and drug discovery platform companies. With an unyielding passion for advancing healthcare, Peter has been directly involved in co-founding, building, investing and supporting numerous companies including Celera Genomics, Alynlam Therapeutics and Momenta, to name just a few.
Known for his entrepreneurial spirit, Peter co-founded Celera Genomics, where he led groundbreaking work that culminated in the first successful sequencing of the human genome in 2001. His strategic insights propelled Celera into the public arena, and his leadership has shaped the trajectory of many biotech companies over the years.
In addition to his roles in the biotech sector, Peter is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and serves as the faculty chair of the advisory board for the prestigious Blavatnik Fellowship Program, helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders in science and business.
Join me as we engage in a fascinating conversation with Peter Barrett, delving into his remarkable journey, the evolution of biotechnology, and the innovative spirit that drives his work.

Now that JPM '25 is behind us, where the weather was great but the mood was somber, back to podcasting!
Welcome back to 'Between the Biotech Waves,' the podcast where we explore the frontiers of biotechnology and the remarkable individuals driving innovation. I’m your host, Nessan Bermingham, and today, we are honored to have Dr. Matt Porteus with us, a true pioneer in the field of genome editing.
Dr. Porteus is making headlines for his role in the development of Lyfgenia, the groundbreaking CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, designed to treat sickle cell disease. He recently founded Kamau Therapeutics, a company I am involved with, to develop a next gen curative therapy for sickle cell disease. 
Raised in California, Matt's academic journey began at Harvard University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a focus on the ethics of recombinant DNA technology—a testament to his deep understanding of the intersection between science and society.
He later completed his combined MD and PhD at Stanford Medical School, focusing on mammalian fore brain development. His postdoctoral research under Dr. David Baltimore at MIT and CalTech solidified his path toward developing innovative therapies using homologous recombination for genetic disorders, particularly in children.
Returning to Stanford in 2010 as an Associate Professor, Dr. Porteus has led the way in demonstrating efficient gene correction in human cells, paving a path for curative treatments in pediatrics. His expertise extends beyond genetic diseases to include the dynamics of various pediatric conditions, with a hands-on role at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, where he cares for young patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Currently Matt is Sutardja Chuk professor of definitive and curative medicine.
In today's episode, we’ll dive into Dr. Porteus's inspiring journey, the significance of Lyfgenia, and his vision for the future of gene editing in transforming the treatment of sickle cell disease and beyond.

Welcome back to Between the Biotech Waves. I am sorry for the lack of episodes over the past few months, unfortunately life threw me a curve ball that I have been taking care of but now back and ready to go!

Today it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mike Curtis, President and CEO of eGenesis. You may recall seeing eGenesis on the front cover of the New York Times recently following the first successful xenotransplantation of a genetically modified porcine kidney. This followed years of work within eGenesis to develop porcine donors for human tissue transplant.

Mike has a 25 year plus history in biotech from Infinity to Cadent where he played a critical role in the merger of Ataxion Therapeutics with Luc to Catabasis where he led product development and regulatory affairs to his current role as CEO and President at eGenesis. Mike earned his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University.

His story is fascinating. Please join me in welcoming Mike Curtis.

Today I am talking to Eliot Forster xCEO of F-star Therapeutics.
Eliot was at helm of the company as they reversed merged into Springbank Pharmaceuticals & through the recently announced acquisition by Sino Biopharma, a transaction that generated a lot of interest given the very public interactions with CFIUS.
Prior to F-star, Eliot was CEO of Immunocore, Creabilis and Solace Pharmaceuticals following his multiple roles at Pfizer which included head of development and operations, European Union. He was the founding chair of Medcity and is an honorary visiting professor of molecular and clinical cancer medicine at the University of Liverpool, to name just a few roles he has had. Eliot is a member of the board of directors of Immatics and is chair of the boards of Ochre Biosciences and Avacta.

Today we have an unusual (& long) podcast where we talk to key members of the Triplet Therapeutics management team. Triplet was founded to develop antisense oligonucleotides targeting the DNA damage response pathway that has been implicated in driving repeat disorders including Huntington's disease - the lead indication for Triplet. The team discusses the challenges in building the company and what ultimately led to it's demise. 

Today we are talking to Tim Yu. Tim is attending physician at the division of genetics and genomics at Boston Children’s Hospital and assoc prof of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. The scope of work that Tim does is well beyond what can be covered in this intro however I have gotten to know Tim through his leading the emerging filed of N of 1 plus drugs. Tim worked with Julia Vitarello to develop Milasen leading the way in truly personalized therapeutics. Please join me in welcoming Tim to the podcast. 

Today we are talking to Barry Greene, CEO of Sage Therapeutics. Barry has had an amazing career spanning over 30 years in the biotech industry. Prior to Sage Barry was President of Alnylam shepherding it with John through its evolution from basic science through commercial product launch. Prior to ALNY Barry was general manager of Oncology at Millennium where he was directly involved in the approval and launch of Velcade. He is currently a member of the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. 

Today we are talking to Joel Marcus. He has shaped the life sciences industry through ARE from the buildings we use to venture and fund investing. His impact can be directly seen in major cities across the US from Boston to NY to San Francisco with over 22million sq ft of space. Beyond Alexandria he is a philanthropist who supports veterans and their families, and through his initiatives people suffering from the opioid crisis, homelessness and mental illness. Please join me in welcoming Joel.

Today we are talking to Rachel Meyers. Rachel was most recently the CSO of Faze Medicines a company she launched with TRV to focus on the regulation of biomolecular condensates to treat disease. Prior to Faze she was an EIR at TRV prior to which she spent nearly 2 decades at Alnylam. I have had the pleasure of working with Rachel getting an appreciation not only of her as a scientist, entrepreneur and operator but also her pure love of science, focus on company culture and her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Today we are talking to Aofie Brennan, president and CEO of Synlogic. Aoife was trained as a doctor at Trinity College Dublin following which she moved to the US. After completing her postdoctoral research at Beth Israel Aofie joined TolerX focused on developing autoimmune therapies for type I diabetes. Following which Aoife spent 6 years at Biogen ultimately becoming head of Rare Disease Innovation, she was involved in the development of Spinraza, Alprolix and Eloctate. Aoife moved from Biogen to Synlogic where she initially took the CMO role ultimately being elected as CEO and President of the company. She has led Synlogic since 2018. Beyond Synlogic Aoife is on the BoD of Cerevance and Fibrogen having also served on the board of RA Pharma through its acquisition by UCB.

We discuss Aoife’s career trajectory, her experiences at Biogen and decision to join Synlogic. Navigating the failure of their lead program in 2020 as a public company and building a deep pipeline today. In addition we discuss diversity and inclusion in our biotech industry today and ways this could be more impactful.

Please join me in welcoming Aoife. 

Today we are talking to Drew Weissman. Drew is the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research at Perelman School of Medicine and Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania. Drew has spent his career working on RNA biology and vaccine development. He, along with his colleague Katalin Kariko, have been pivotal in the development of mRNA vaccines most notably the COVID-19 vaccines developed by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna. 

Drew received his MD/PhD from Boston University in 1987, following which he did a residency at Beth Israel and followship at the NIH under Anthony Fauci. He has received numerous awards including the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award and Rosenstiel Award.

Today we discuss Drew’s career trajectory, mRNA biology and vaccine development.

Today we are talking to Rodolphe Barrangou. Rodolphe is the Todd R Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor at NC State University. He is a scientist entrepreneur who has co-founded a multitude of biotech companies around CRISPR based approaches including CRISPR Biotechnologies, Ancilia Biosciences, TreeCo and Intellia Therapeutics. He is one of the pioneers in CRISPR-Cas9 dating back to his time as R&D director of genomics at DuPont. In 2007 Rodolphe was the lead author on a Science paper demonstrating proof of the immune function of CRISPR in bacteria.

I am delighted to welcome back John Hoffman to Between the Biotech Waves. John is managing director & head of healthcare equity capital markets at Credit Suisse. In mid 2022 John joined the podcast to discuss the market outlook for ’22 and many of his predictions were spot on. It was also one of the most downloaded podcasts of the year. I am welcoming him back to review ’22, lessons learned and crystal ball gaze into ’23. What are we seeing overall in the capital markets, is M&A now on the horizon and what should pre-IPO companies be thinking about. 

I am delighted to welcome back Jim Birchenough to Between the Biotech Waves. Jim is Vice Chair Wells Fargo Biopharmaceutical Investment Banking. In 2022 Jim joined the podcast to discuss the market dynamics and learnings from prior market corrections. I am welcoming him back to take stock of where we are, what the bright spots in 2022 were and crystal ball gaze into ’23. What should be watching for as the start of the year unfolds. 

Today we are talking to Jeremy Levin. Jeremy is chairman and CEO of Ovid Therapeutics, focused on rare and orphan disease of the CNS. He is the immediate past chair of BIO. 

Jeremy has a storied career in biotech having served as president and CEO of Teva Pharmaceutica’s, a member of the exec committee of BMS where he had global responsibilities for strategy, alliances and transactions. There he devised the “String of Pearls” BD strategy which led to the acquisition of Medarex and opened the path to the successful development of the first i-onc drugs. Prior to BMS Jeremy was head of global BD and strategic alliances at Novartis. In his spare time, amazing he has any, he runs a successful Black Angus farm from which, as I understand it, many biotech CEOs get their steaks!

Today we are talking to Laksh Aithani, Co-founder and CEO of Charm Therapeutics. Laksh is a scientist turned entrepreneur. He received his degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. While at University he co-founded Genei, an AI company that automatically summarizes background reading producing blogs, articles and reports (I would note but not podcasts!). He joined Exscientia where he was a core contributor to their AI platform following which he co-founded Charm with David Baker.

Today we are talking to Tom Barnes. Tom is CEO of Orna Therapeutics, a circular RNA focused biotech developing in situ CAR therapeutics. Orna recently announced a series B with a multi billion $ mega-deal with Merck. Prior to Orna Tom and I worked together at Intellia and also Ascelagen. Tom has also had leading positions at Eleven Bio and Millennium. Tom has deep biological pathway domain expertise and has worked across a broad range of therapeutic modalities, from genome editing, to RNA therapeutics, small molecules and proteins. Tom is a true scientist and drug hunter. 

Today we are talking to JeanFrancois Formela. I have known JF for over 2 decades having worked with him at Atlas in building multiple biotech companies. JF is a partner at Atlas Venture which he joined in 1993 to build the US LS presence which has ultimately become the Atlas we all know today. He co-founded, invested in and played pivotal roles in a multitude of companies including Intellia Therapeutics, IFM Therapeutics, Korro Bio, Triplet and others. Other key investments he has made include Exelixis, Adnexus (acqd byBMS), Arteaus (acqd by Eli Lilly), CoStim Pharmaceuticals (acqd byNovartis) and Translate Bio (acqd by Sanofi).

JF got his MD from Paris University School of Medicine and an MBA from Columbia. He is a wine connoisseur and lives close to the edge racing on the track.

Please join me in welcoming JF.

Today we are talking to Ram Aiyer. Ram is CEO of Korro Bio, an RNA base editing company focused on co-opting ADAR, a naturally present editing system in all our cells to base edit A to I (which is translated as a G) in RNA. Prior to Korro, Ram was CBO and CFO of Corvidia, a company he successfully helped build and sell to Novo Nordisk for 2.1Bn$. Prior to Corvidia he was an EIR at BioHealth Innovation. He started his scientific career at Janssen Pharmaceuticals and held leadership roles at FlowMetric, Sofinnova Partners, and JP Morgan Chase.

Today we discuss his path to becoming the CEO of a biotech company, the transition for a first time CEO, his success at Corvidia, running a leading biotech company in today’s markets and the science/technology & culture underpinning Korro. 

In this episode we discuss the formation and evolution of galaxies, our expanding universe, the big bang, the source of fast radio bursts, the James Webb Space Telescope and of course.....Aliens!

Today we talk to Abe Heifets, CEO of Atomwise, a biotech company focusing on the utilization of AI for drug discovery. Atomwise recently (post this recording) announced a $1.2B discovery deal with Sanofi. We discuss AI, its use in drug discovery and development, recent advances and the potential sentient nature of AI. Enjoy.

Discussing the formation of CRISPR Tx, the positives, negatives and everything in between. This is the first time all three of us reconnected since our respective departures from our founding roles and features some candid moments from our respective journeys. Enjoy.

Today we talk to Vic Myer, xChief Technology Officer at Editas, currently President and CSO at Chroma Medicine. We discuss the state of genome editing and the potential for chromatin modification.

In this episode we are talking to Prof Eric Topol. Eric is a cardiologist by training, a basic scientist in the areas of personalized genomic medicine at the interface between genetics and digital health and is the author of the leading textbook in interventional cardiology in addition to authoring books on AI in medicine. He is the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, a professor of molecular medicine at the scripps research institute and a snr consultant at the division of cardiovascular diseases at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla CA. Finally, he is editor in chief of Medscape and theheart.org

Since the COVID pandemic hit Eric has been an outspoken advocate of basic research and optimized paths for COVID drug discovery and development. He has written numerous pieces on COVID and our response to the pandemic in addition to calling out and correcting mis and dis information. His most recent piece, an editorial in the LA Times, continues to draw attention to the low vaccination and booster rates here in the US.

Today we discuss the evolution of COVID virus and the most recent BA5 variant. The data continues to be sobering with the increased emergence and dominance of new variants. Eric highlights the importance of the vaccine, boosters and the need to develop a universal vaccine to tackle this pandemic. We also discuss Paxlovid and the rebound that is being observed in around 20% of patients. Finally we touch on the issue regarding disinformation around scientific discoveries in todays world and the need to build systems to actively call this out and quickly correct before it becomes “fact”.

To lighten the mood, or so I thought,  at the end we turn to AI and its role in our health system. Touching on some key considerations around AI consciousness that has been in the news of late.

Today we are talking to Yaron Werber. Yaron is Managing Director of Healthcare Biotechnology at Cowen, he has over 20 years of experience as a research analyst and was a founding team member, chief business and financial officer of Ovid Therapeutics. Prior to Ovid Yaron was managing director and head of US healthcare and biotech equity research at Citi.

Please note - Between vacation, other work commitments and COVID this conversation was recorded over 2 weeks ago. During that time the tea leave reading of the biotech market has marched forward with people highlighting the double bottom and climb in the XBI. While some have hailed this as the end of the bears and seeing the dust of the raging bulls in the distance I am inclined to ask what hallucinogenic they took the night before. Down rounds and negotiated valuation resets in the private market are starting to become more of a central theme with continued uncertainty about timing to recovery, 2023 is now being discussed. The landslide of public SMID cap companies that need to finance has yet to be realized while the macro economic challenges remain in place with inflation out of control in a backdrop of global destabilization. On the micro side the Seagen life raft is starting to look like a potential mirage with M&A being limited and company consolidation a whisper.

In this episode Yaron and I discuss the current market metrics, what companies may want to consider and the challenges to the oft flagged oasis of consolidation, M&A and now the going private plan. We discuss his experience as an operating in a biotech company between his roles in equity research. This experience provides a unique insight into the vagaries of a biotech company and the market.

A Between the Biotech Waves conversation with John Hofffman, managing director & head of healthcare equity capital markets at Credit Suisse. John has nearly two decades of experience in supporting healthcare companies in the public markets. In this episode we discuss the current market dynamics from a equity capital market perspective.

A Between the Biotech Waves conversation with John Leonard, CEO of Intellia Therapeutics. John has over 30 years of experience in drug research & development. Prior to joining Intellia John was CSO at Abbvie. In this episode we discuss the formation of Intellia, some of the challenges and the recent data announced in ATTR.

Today I talk to William Hicks, co-chair of securities and capital markets at Mintz Levin. We discuss the state of the capital markets, financing options for companies and the challenges companies face in this market.