David Esposito From Big Pharma to Clinical-Stage Biotech CEO Stories in Life Sciences

David Esposito spent 16 years in commercial leadership at Merck before stepping into the early-stage life sciences world. In this episode of Stories in Life Sciences by MedAxis AI, Christopher Wilson sits down with David Esposito, CEO of ONL Therapeutics, to explore what it takes to lead a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company from one month of runway to a $65 million Series D and an active Phase 2 trial.ONL Therapeutics is developing Xelafaslatide, a first-in-class Fas inhibitor designed to protect retinal cells from vision loss in patients with geographic atrophy associated with dry age-related macular degeneration. The company is currently running the GALAXY Phase 2 trial across 324 patients in the US, Canada, and the EU, with a dosing schedule of every three to six months rather than the monthly injections standard in retinal disease treatment.We cover:Leaving big pharma for early-stage life sciences: the decision process and what made it possibleWhat commercial discipline from large pharma actually transfers to startup environmentsHow to build a lean, high-functioning team when resources are limitedThe story of joining ONL Therapeutics with one month of runway and closing the first financing roundsONL's GALAXY Phase 2 trial for dry AMD, geographic atrophy, and the science behind XelafaslatideWhy dosing every three to six months versus monthly injections matters for retinal disease patientsAI's role in patient identification, data aggregation, and clinical trial efficiencyHow investors read commitment in scientific founders and why getting the right operators early mattersWho this is for: life sciences founders, early-stage biotech executives, commercial leaders in pharma considering a transition to startups, and clinical development professionals working in retinal disease.Guest: David Esposito CEO, ONL Therapeutics https://onltherapeutics.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidesposito2 https://www.linkedin.com/company/onl-therapeutics Host:Christopher WilsonFounder, MedAxis AIwww.medaxisai.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-wilson-medaxisaihttps://www.linkedin.com/company/medaxisai