Recovering scientist turned early stage VC A biotech optimist fighting gravity

A Diverse Culture From The Beginning At Early-Stage Biotechs
March 20, 2023

By Mike Cloonan, CEO of Sionna Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC There are a lot of reasons to be excited about leading an early-stage biotech company. It’s a chance to be at the forefront

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Build It & They Will Come: Momentum Building For CBL-B Inhibition
March 1, 2023

By Jonathan Montagu, CEO of HotSpot Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC The phrase ‘build it and they will come’ dates all the way back to the Old Testament, and in more recent times has

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Science2Startup 2023: Innovation And Entrepreneurship
February 28, 2023

Science2Startup (S2S) is back!  In April 2020, we were planning the 3rd annual S2S conference for university-focused biotech entrepreneurship – but it was unfortunately scuttled by COVID. A subsequent event in 2021 was also precluded by the pandemic.  But as

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On The Road Again: F2F Meetings Emerging From A Hybrid World
February 16, 2023

By Bob Clarke, CEO of Kinaset Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC As I ride the Amtrak towards New York City for a series of meetings on Park Avenue with bankers/analysts, face-to-face (F2F) meetings are

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Embracing the New Normal: Our 2023 Hybrid Model Experiment
February 3, 2023

By Ankit Mahadevia, CEO of Spero Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Biotwitter is great for healthy debates.  The most recent has been on the merits of the hybrid vs.an in-person model.  John Maraganore’s excellent

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JPM and Other Rituals
January 18, 2023

By Aoife Brennan, CEO of Synlogic Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Earlier this month, I attended the J.P. Morgan 41st annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco after a two-year hiatus. Despite the torrential rain

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Takeda Acquires Nimbus’ Tyk2 Autoimmune Program
December 13, 2022

Today we’re thrilled to announce the acquisition of Nimbus’ allosteric Tyk2 autoimmune program by Takeda for up to $6 billion in an upfront and future milestones. As a potential best-in-class asset in the significant new therapeutic category of selective Tyk2

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What Took So Long: How Tech Has Finally Caught Up With Transcription Factors
December 6, 2022

By Gerry Harriman and Jonathan Montagu, CSO and CEO, respectively, and co-founders of HotSpot Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC. HotSpot Therapeutics today announced a strategic collaboration with Abbvie to develop IRF5 transcription factor inhibitors

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An 18 Month Journey From Inception To IPO
November 16, 2022

By Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch PhD, JD, CEO of VIGIL NEUROSCIENCE, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Compared to most industries, biotech life cycles are lengthy. From R&D and clinical development to regulatory approval, it takes an average

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Atlas Venture 2022 Year In Review
November 7, 2022

We just held our 2022 Annual General Meeting for our investors, and a few weeks ago convened our Atlas Venture Retreat – both in person for the first time in 3 years.  Kicking off each of these meetings is our

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Playing Small Ball
November 1, 2022

By Robert Clarke, CEO and founder of Kinaset Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC 2022 has been a hallmark year for Kinaset Therapeutics as we’ve continued to advance our P1b trial with our lead asset.

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Gene Therapy Is Here To Stay: Should Bigger Companies Build, Buy, Or Partner?
October 13, 2022

By Deanna Petersen, CBO of AVROBio, as part of the From the Trenches feature of LifeSciVC Gene therapy’s tremendous potential to transform the treatment of both rare and common diseases has been understood for decades. But few may appreciate how

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