From Academic Discovery to a Real Drug Program, with Vinod Vijayakumar, D. Phil

Is your science truly investable, or just interesting?Learn how early development decisions determine whether academic science can realistically become a drug, and how industry evaluates translatability long before the clinic.This episode helps you understand what it really takes to turn promising academic science into a viable drug program. Dr. Vijayakumar explains how early development decisions, often made long before investors or regulators are involved, can determine whether a program succeeds or quietly fails. You’ll learn how industry evaluates “translatability,” how formulation and development strategy shape everything downstream, and why great science alone is not enough. If you want to know whether your research can realistically become a drug, and what thinking must change when moving from lab to clinic, this conversation provides a clear, grounded roadmap.