Base to Base biotech podcast 47: Accurate prostate cancer diagnosis and ocular gene therapy

The conversations on this week’s podcast focus on a rapid and accurate prostate cancer diagnostic test, with Valley Diagnostics’ CEO Dave Taylor; and on gene therapy for retinal disease, with Lance Baldo, CEO of Beacon Therapeutics.Times:03:12 Beacon Therapeutics27:38 Valley DiagnosticsValley DiagnosticsValley Diagnostics is a Welsh company developing next‑generation lateral flow diagnostic tests designed for early detection of human and animal diseases.Their approach uses patented biomarkers to make faster and more accurate screening possible in GP surgeries, point‑of‑care settings, and at home. Their current pipeline includes tests for prostate cancer, lung cancer, and bovine tuberculosis.The company is working with academic and clinical partners across Wales and England to validate its biomarkers through large‑scale studies. One example is the OSCAR clinical study, which is screening thousands of urine samples to support development of a rapid prostate cancer test.In recent weeks, Valley Diagnostics signed several licensing agreements with Aberystwyth University, securing exclusive global rights to biomarker IP across four major disease areas. These agreements are intended to support commercialisation of their point‑of‑care tests and move them toward market readiness.Beacon TherapeuticsBeacon Therapeutics is an ocular gene therapy company focused on inherited retinal diseases, including X‑linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP).Earlier this month, the company announced it had raised over $75m in an oversubscribed Series C financing led by Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives and with participation from the Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund), the venture arm of Foundation Fighting Blindness.The new funds will be used to complete the development of lead programme, laru-zova, a potential best-in-class gene therapy currently being investigated for the treatment of patients with XLRP, and progress commercialisation plans. The funds will also be used to help support the development of Beacon’s pipeline candidates for geographic atrophy, as well as an inherited cone rod dystrophy, and another undisclosed asset.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]