Chris Hoyt | KeifeRx – Building Biotech Companies Around Academic Drug Discovery

In this episode of Executive Insights for Life Sciences Innovators, we speak with Chris Hoyt, CEO of KeifeRx, a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing small molecule therapies for neurodegenerative diseases based on technology licensed from Georgetown University.Chris shares his journey as an entrepreneurial executive who has launched, funded, and scaled venture-backed companies across multiple industries before entering biotechnology. He discusses how those experiences translate to building a drug development company and the strategic decisions involved in turning promising academic discoveries into IND enabled programs.We explore the challenges of funding and scaling early-stage biotech companies, the importance of capital discipline in today’s market environment, and how leaders evaluate scientific opportunities when building new biotechnology ventures.This episode was streamed live on YouTube on March 9, 2026. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠genecoda.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.