Base to Base biotech podcast 73: Polymacrocyclic peptides and AI in drug discovery and diagnosis

This week, our guests are chief scientific officer of Valo Health, Karin Conde-Knape, and Karsten Eastman, CEO of Sethera Therapeutics.Times:03:06 Sethera Therapeutics20:08 Valo HealthValo HealthOur guest from Valo Health is chief scientific officer Karin Conde-Knape. As head of global drug discovery at Novo Nordisk, she helped expand the company’s research pipeline to more than 100 programmes across new therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular and liver diseases. Earlier this year, she joined Valo Health, bringing AI, real-world patient data and predictive chemistry to rethink drug discovery from the ground up.Valo Health said it is redefining drug discovery and development through its AI-enabled human causal biology and closed loop chemistry platforms. It uses AI to understand disease causality, identify patient sub­types across heterogeneous diseases, and pin­point novel drug targets.The company validates targets using 3D engineered human tissue models that mimic mature human physiology and structure. The company’s closed loop chemistry platform enables rapid development of potential molecules from trillions of starting points.Valo’s approach aims to identify more impactful drug targets and small molecule therapeutics, faster, and with greater precision than traditional R&D methods. The company works with global pharmaceutical partners, including Novo Nordisk and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in addition to advancing its own pipeline. Valo was founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2019.Sethera TherapeuticsSethera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a polymacrocyclic peptide discovery platform based on enzymatic cross-linking chemistry.The platform enables the generation and screening of highly constrained peptide architectures designed to access chemical and biological space that is difficult to reach with conventional small molecules, biologics, or traditional peptide approaches.Sethera's technology was originally developed at the University of Utah and is exclusively licensed to the company. By collaborating with industry leaders and research institutions, Sethera aims to unlock new possibilities in drug discovery and development for targets that are difficult to address with existing therapeutic modalities.The company recently announced a collaborative breast cancer research project with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has received funding through the Fiscal Year 2025 Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award, administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The award supports innovative, high-impact research aimed at advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]