Rx for Biotech

What if AI could help women better understand their bodies and take control of their health before problems become crises? In this episode of #RxforBiotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Kirsten Karchmer, Founder and CEO of Conceivable, to discuss the future of women's health, fertility, hormone health, and personalized medicine. After helping more than 10,000 women improve their fertility and reproductive health over the past 25 years, Kirsten is now building an AI-powered operating system designed to help women understand the root causes of health challenges rather than simply treating symptoms. From fertility and PCOS to fatigue, hormone imbalances, perimenopause, and menopause, Conceivable combines artificial intelligence, wearable data, lifestyle insights, and personalized coaching to help women make informed decisions about their health. In this episode, we discuss: • Why so many women feel dismissed by the healthcare system • The future of AI in women's health • Fertility treatment and reproductive health • Personalized medicine and hormone optimization • The role of wearables, biomarkers, and health data • Menopause, perimenopause, and healthy aging • How AI can help women become advocates for their own health • Why understanding the root cause matters more than treating symptoms Whether you're trying to conceive, navigating hormone changes, managing a chronic condition, or simply interested in the future of healthcare, this conversation offers an inspiring look at how technology can empower women throughout every stage of life. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on healthcare innovation, precision medicine, AI, women's health, and advanced therapies.

What if the future of multiple sclerosis treatment could go beyond suppressing inflammation - and actually help protect the brain? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Jason Tardio, President & COO of Immunic Therapeutics, to discuss the evolving future of treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), one of the most complex autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases affecting millions worldwide. Jason shares his deep experience leading major MS franchises at Biogen and Novartis, explains how MS attacks the brain and spinal cord, and breaks down why many current therapies focus primarily on inflammation but may not fully address the neurodegeneration driving long-term disability. The conversation also explores Immunic’s lead investigational therapy, vidofludimus calcium, an oral once-daily treatment being studied in Phase 3 clinical trials for relapsing multiple sclerosis. The company believes the therapy may offer a unique dual approach by targeting both neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Topics discussed include: • What causes multiple sclerosis • Early symptoms and diagnosis of MS • How MRI imaging transformed MS care • Why MS remains difficult to treat • The difference between inflammation and neurodegeneration • Oral therapies vs infusions and injectables • Progressive multiple sclerosis and unmet patient needs • The future of neuroscience, immunotherapy, and personalized medicine For patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and anyone interested in the future of neurology and autoimmune disease treatment, this episode offers an accessible and hopeful look at where MS care may be headed next.

What if your own immune cells could be engineered to fight and even cure cancer? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Navneet Majhail, MD, a leading expert in blood cancers, bone marrow transplants, and CAR-T cell therapy, to break down one of the most powerful innovations in modern medicine: CAR-T therapy. CAR-T therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own T cells - engineered in a lab - to recognize and destroy cancer. It has already transformed outcomes for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, offering hope where few options previously existed. But despite its promise, many eligible patients still don’t receive CAR-T therapy due to barriers like access, geography, insurance, and care coordination. In this conversation, Dr. Majhail explains: • What CAR-T cell therapy is and how it works • Why access to treatment remains a major challenge • The role of bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy networks • How care is shifting closer to home through community-based treatment models • The importance of caregivers and support systems during treatment • What the future holds for CAR-T in solid tumors, autoimmune diseases, and beyond This episode is a must-watch for patients, caregivers, and anyone interested in the future of personalized cancer treatment, immunotherapy, and advanced therapies

Why is brain cancer so hard to detect and treat - and what if we could change that? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Marc Hedrick, CEO of Plus Therapeutics, and Russell Bradley, General Manager of CNSide Diagnostics, to explore a new, integrated approach to treating some of the most challenging cancers in medicine: central nervous system (CNS) cancers, including glioblastoma and leptomeningeal metastases. Brain and CNS cancers are among the most difficult to treat because of the blood-brain barrier, which prevents most drugs from reaching tumors. In fact, only a small percentage of therapies can effectively cross into the brain—limiting treatment options and outcomes. Plus Therapeutics is tackling this problem with a novel approach using targeted radiation therapy delivered directly to tumors, bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Their lead program uses a radioactive isotope (rhenium-186) delivered via nanoliposomes, allowing high doses of radiation to reach the tumor while minimizing damage to the rest of the body. At the same time, CNSide Diagnostics is helping physicians detect cancer earlier and monitor treatment response using an advanced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostic test. This highly sensitive test can identify even small numbers of tumor cells—helping doctors make faster, more informed treatment decisions. Together, this combination of diagnostics + therapeutics + data represents a new model for precision oncology and personalized cancer care. In this episode, we discuss: • Why brain cancer is so difficult to treat • The role of the blood-brain barrier in limiting therapies • How targeted radiation therapy can improve outcomes • The importance of early detection and diagnostics • How monitoring tumor cells can guide treatment decisions • The future of integrated cancer care (theranostics) This conversation offers a powerful look at how innovation in both treatment and diagnostics could help improve survival and quality of life for patients with some of the most aggressive cancers.

What if chemotherapy could target tumors without harming the rest of the body? In this episode of *Rx for Biotech*, host Chris Leidli sits down with Christina Coughlin, MD, PhD, CEO of Avacta Therapeutics, to explore a new approach to cancer treatment using targeted chemotherapy and precision oncology. Avacta is developing a novel platform designed to activate powerful cancer drugs only inside the tumor, potentially reducing side effects like damage to the heart, bone marrow, and other healthy tissues. This approach, known as tumor-targeted drug delivery, could redefine how chemotherapy is used across cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, and salivary gland cancer. Christina shares her journey from early work in CAR-T cell therapy and immuno-oncology to leading Avacta’s innovative pre|CISION peptide drug conjugate platform, including its lead asset AVA6000 (faridoxorubicin) now in clinical trials. In this conversation, we discuss: • How targeted chemotherapy works and why it may be safer than traditional chemo • The role of the immune system and immunotherapy in cancer treatment • Why improving drug delivery is one of the biggest challenges in oncology • Key clinical insights from early trials of AVA6000 • What the future of precision medicine and personalized cancer care could look like As cancer treatment evolves, innovations like Avacta’s platform could help patients receive more effective, less toxic therapies tailored to their biology 📌 Learn more about navigating advanced therapies and personalized care at: [https://www.therapy4me.ai] #CancerTreatment #PrecisionMedicine #Chemotherapy #Immunotherapy #Oncology #Biotech #TargetedTherapy #Avacta #RxForBiotech

What if a simple blood test could reveal how your body responds to disease - or even help doctors choose the right treatment for you? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli speaks with Mo Jain, MD, PhD, co-founder of Sapient, about how scientists are using advanced biology and artificial intelligence to uncover new biomarkers - the biological signals that can help doctors understand what’s happening inside the body. Biomarkers are becoming one of the most important tools in precision medicine, helping physicians move beyond one-size-fits-all treatments toward care that is tailored to each patient’s unique biology. Mo explains how Sapient is analyzing thousands of human samples using advanced technologies to better understand metabolism, disease progression, and how patients respond to therapies. These insights could help improve early diagnosis, guide treatment decisions, and empower patients with more personalized health information. In this conversation, you’ll learn: • What biomarkers are and why they matter for patients • How AI and advanced biology are helping scientists discover new health insights • Why understanding your body’s metabolism can change how diseases are treated • How biomarker data could help patients and doctors make better care decisions As medicine becomes more personalized, having the right biological information may become one of the most powerful tools patients have to advocate for their own care. For additional patient education and support, visit: https://therapy4me.ai

In this episode of "Rx for Biotech", host Chris Leidli speaks with Rodney Gillespie, Senior Vice President and U.S. Therapeutic Area Head for Oncology at Novartis, about the rapid evolution of prostate cancer care, including the rise of radioligand therapy and PSMA-targeted treatments like Pluvicto® (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan). We discuss: * How PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy delivers radiation directly to cancer cells * The role of innovation in advanced and metastatic prostate cancer * Expanding patient access to cutting-edge therapies * Why patient advocacy and education matter in modern oncology As prostate cancer remains one of the most common cancers in men, new treatment approaches like radioligand therapy are redefining what’s possible for patients living with advanced prostate cancer.

What if helping the immune system find balance could meaningfully slow disease progression for diseases like ALS or Alzheimer’s? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Arun Swaminathan, CEO of Coya Therapeutics, to talk about a new and hopeful approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases by calming harmful inflammation in the body. This conversation offers a hopeful look at how science is working to improve quality of life for patients and families facing neurodegenerative disease. Arun also shares insights from his 20+ years in biotech leadership, including what it takes to advance novel immunology science in high-unmet-need indications and build a product pipeline across neurodegenerative, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases.

A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming - but patients are not powerless. In this episode, Dr. Nainesh Parikh of Moffitt Cancer Center explains how patients and families can better advocate for themselves, navigate complex healthcare systems, and get connected to the right care at the right time.

This episode is about hope, and about a different way of thinking about cancer treatment. My guest is Dr. Øystein Rekdal, CEO and co-founder of Lytix Biopharma. Øystein is a scientist and leader who has spent decades studying how the immune system works - and how it can be helped to recognize and fight cancer more effectively. Rather than focusing only on destroying tumors, Lytix is working on therapies designed to wake up the immune system and help it remember cancer as a threat. It’s an approach that aims not just to treat disease, but to support the body’s own ability to respond. This is a conversation for anyone who wants to better understand where cancer care is headed, and why there’s real reason for optimism.

InflaRx CEO Dr. Niels Riedmann joins Rx for Biotech to discuss how the company is pioneering complement-directed therapies to control severe inflammation and autoimmune disease. We break down the science behind INF904, and why C5a is such a powerful immune driver, and how precision immunology is shaping the next wave of treatment innovation.

In this episode of Rx for Biotech podcast, I speak with Philippe Chambon MD, PhD, CEO of EG 427, about how his company's HERMES technology platform could improve on the precision, durability and safety of gene therapy delivery. EG 427's lead candidate, EG110A, targets neurogenic bladder - a chronic condition linked to spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis - using a localized gene therapy designed to restore neuronal control with minimal side effects.

Airway Therapeutics is taking on one of the toughest challenges in medicine - helping premature infants breathe on their own. In this episode of Rx for Biotech, CEO Marc Salzberg shares how zelpultide alfa, an investigational, first-in-class biologic, could transform care for newborns with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and unlock a new future for respiratory medicine.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jay Lalezari, CEO of CytoDyn Therapeutics, discusses the company's progress in developing a novel immunotherapy that targets the CCR5 receptor, one of the master immune cell regulators. Jay reviews some of the early clinical data with leronlimab, a first-in-class investigational monocolonal antibody that targets the CCR5 receptor and is being studied in metasatic triple-negative breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

In this episode of Tc for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Thijs Spoor, CEO of Perspective Therapeutics, to unpack the future of radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer. This conversation goes beyond the science to explore the infrastructure and strategy that determines success in bringing target cancer therapies to patients.

In this episode of Rx for Biotech, host Chris Leidli sits down with Dr. Frank Bedu-Addo, CEO of PDS Biotechnology, to discuss how the company is reimagining immunotherapy with its proprietary Versamune® T-cell activating platform.

Early cancer detection doesn't have to mean invasive tests. In this podcast episode, we sit down with Jeff Bousfield, CEO of Nonacus Cancer Diagnostics, to explore how his UK-based company is revolutionizing precision cancer diagnostics with a powerful suite of non-invasive tools. Jeff shares the human story behind the science and why he believes the future of cancer care starts with precision diagnostics tools that are faster, less invasive, and more accessible to patients.

Metastatic pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, but a new approach is taking shape - and it's showing promise in early clinical studies. In this episode, Dan Schmitt, President and CEO of Actuate Therapeutics, shares how elraglusib, an investigational targeted therapy, may provide a new option for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. We explore the urgent unmet need and why Dan thinks this could be a turning point for one of oncology's toughest challenges.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Kilian Kelly, CEO of Cynata Therapeutics, discusses the future of regenerative medicine! Discover how mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)—powerful cells that repair and regenerate tissues—are revolutionizing treatments for a range of diseases. Dr. Kelly shares insights on Cynata’s groundbreaking Cymerus™ platform and the exciting potential of MSC therapies.

Our guest in this podcast episode is lymphoma survivor and CAR-T cell therapy patient advocate, Brad Watts. In this episode, Brad shares his personal story battling lymphoma at the young age of 29 along with his experience receiving an innovative cell therapy. This field is transforming lives and Brad is living proof of this potential.

AI is transforming job search, recruiting and hiring practices. Our guest in this podcast episode is Steve Swan, Practice Leader at The Swan Group. Steve is an Executive Recruiter specializing in technology for the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry. In this episode Steve shares his insights on how AI is transforming the hiring process.

Gene therapy offers significant hope for treating sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disorder caused by a single mutation in the hemoglobin gene. Recent advancements have led to promising developments and FDA approvals, but challenges remain. In this podcast episode, gene therapy survivor, Jimi Olaghere, shares his journey and offers hope to others with his inspirational message and through his advocacy for patients in the sickle cell community.

In this podcast episode, hear from Diakonos Oncology President and Chief Operating Officer Jay Hartenbach, who provides an update on the company's innovative dendritic cell vaccine therapy designed to tackle some of the most challenging cancers, including glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer

Dr. Thomas Chen is a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Director of Surgical Neuro-Oncology at the University of Southern California, and the founder and CEO of NeOnc Technologies. In this podcast episode we discuss the company’s unique approach to treating glioblastoma and other aggressive brain cancers.

Our guest in this podcast episode is Sreekanth Gopi, a leader in generative AI and machine learning. Sreekanth has applied AI to fields as diverse as physiological monitoring, meditation, and even generating multi-track Indian classical music. He’s published award-winning research on EEG spectral analysis and adaptive quiz generation using large language models, participated in over 12 AI hackathons—winning two—and is now a Prompt Engineer at Morgan Stanley, where he fine-tunes cutting-edge LLM interactions for real-world applications. In this episode we explore how AI is redefining stress management and revolutionizing real-time physiological data applications. Tune in to learn about the world of generative artificial intelligence— and looking at its transformative potential in mental health and stress management.

Arvinas is a biotech company dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. In this podcast episode, Dr. Randy Teel discusses the company's PROTAC protein degrader technology platform and its pipeline of clinical-stage assets, with a focus on vepdegestrant, the company's lead asset that is being co-developed together with partner Pfizer, for the treatment of women with early and locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer.

HLTH brings together all the ecosystem stakeholders each year to discuss the innovations that will help solve some of healthcare's biggest challenges. In this podcast episode, Noe Gutierrez, the Head of Commercial Operations at Genoplex, Inc., shares many of the key themes and insights from the biggest health tech conference of 2024.

Next Generation Gene Therapies is developing novel gene therapies for the treatment of many rare diseases. In this podcast episode, the company's Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Guang Qu, discusses how the company's dual-functional vector tech platform is being used to target many diseases.

Immunotherapies continue to redefine treatment for many types of cancer and one of the first immunotherapies approved and used clinically as a therapeutic is Interleukin-2, or IL-2. Aulos Bioscience is an immuno-oncology company that has developed AU-007, a potential best-in-class IL-2, that improves on many of the other IL-2 products in development. In this episode, we discuss the promise of AU-007 with President and CEO, Aron Knickerbocker. Link to Interleukin-2 review article can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01390-3

In this podcast episode, we discuss the importance of addressing health equity for the rare disease community with Tamar Thompson, Head of Corporate Affairs at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. Tamar discussed her efforts to champion health policy, advocacy, equity, and awareness for rare diseases. Link to NMOSD video mentioned in episode: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJQx_6LtucSB9GGeiWTycLm7wjK_LX0ZI

In this podcast episode, we sit down with Christopher Heery, the Chief Medical Officer at Arcellx to learn about the company's pipeline and lead cell therapy, anitocabtagene autoleucel, or anito-cel, that is in development for multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma, like lymphoma and leukemia are types of cancer that start in your blood cells.

In this podcast episode, Dr. James Zou, Associate Professor of Biomedical Data Science and Faculty DIrector of the AI for Health department at Stanford University, shares current use cases for AI in healthcare and oncology and discusses how we can overcome challenges with LLMs to unlock the full potential of AI.

In this episode, Genoplex Founder and CEO, Chris Leidli, and CTO, Shoukri Kattan, take a dive deep into their shared passion for health, wellness, and longevity, and explore how technology is revolutionizing patient access to advanced therapies. Chris and Shoukri discuss the groundbreaking work happening at Genoplex, including how the company's Advanced Therapy Connect digital platform is transforming the way patients connect with life-changing treatments.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Robb Richards, Corporate Director of Cell Therapy and Transplant at University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine. In this episode, we discuss how Penn Medicine is working to improve patient access to cellular therapies and how technology has evolved to streamline operational and clinical workflows to enhance patient experience.

Our guest for this episode is Balaji Gopalan, CEO and Co-Founder of MedStack where we discuss how MedStack's tech stack is enabling digital health start-ups to be healthcare data compliant. MedStack streamlines compliance with out-of-the-box HIPAA controls and ready-to-use privacy policies, enabling the faster and more cost-effective development of digital health applications. With built-in security controls and third-party validation, MedStack is setting new standards in healthcare technology.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Mike Kelly, President & CEO of NervGen Pharma. NervGen is a clinical-stage biotech company at the forefront of developing treatments that empower the nervous system to repair itself following damage from injury or disease.

In this podcast episode, your host, Chris Leidli, MS, MBA, goes beyond the ASCO 2024 headlines and puts a spotlight on the new clinical data for advanced therapies you don't want to miss.

In this episode, we preview the top American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2024 annual meeting abstracts with guests Dr. Emily Walsh Martin from Tremont Therapeutics Consulting and Lynnea Olivarez, Incoming Chair of the ASGCT Communications Committee.

Over the years, electronic health records (EHRs) have revolutionized medical practice, digitizing patient data and streamlining care. But the current systems are not well suited to support collection of real-world data or the tracking of longitudinal outcomes across patient populations. This is particularly true for hematopoietic stem cell transplant and cellular therapies. Our special guest, Dr. Wayne Liang is a leader in the stem cell transplant and cell therapy informatics field. Wayne is Director of Informatics Education and Outreach at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, he is also a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Simon Arkell, CEO of Ryght. Ryght is developing the next generation of safe and secure generative AI to empower Life Science companies to ingest real-time data and make actionable knowledge directly available to discovery, clinical, and commercial teams.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Doron Behar, MD, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Igentify, a digital health, artificial intelligence and genetic counseling company. In this episode, Dr. Behar shares how his company has developed a medical-grade tech platform that optimizes genomic workflows and produces AI-generated personalized genetic counseling for patients.

This episode features a preview of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting scientific symposium on the impact of Generative AI on cell and gene therapy (CGT); best practices and real-world applications for communicators. Dr. Rory Bricker-Anthony shares insight into what attendees can expect to learn from the May 2024 session, including current tools and applications for CGT communicators.

Our guest in this podcast episode is Chris Dokomajilar, Founder and CEO of DealForma. DealForma’s comprehensive life science database includes meticulously researched licensing deal financial comps, up-to-date profiles, and historic company and pipeline data. In this special spotlight episode, we take a deeper dive into the investment landscape for advanced therapies and also AI investment and partnership activity in the biopharma space.

We often don’t get the chance to hear from survivors and patient advocates whose lives have been impacted by advanced medicines; so that makes this podcast episode special as we talk to Chris White, a cancer survivor who faced the unimaginable when diagnosed with Mucosal Melanoma in 2018—a rare and aggressive cancer which makes Chris's journey even more exceptional. Today, Chris is not just a survivor; he's a beacon of inspiration. He has redirected his energy towards advocacy, prevention, and raising awareness of the complexities associated with Mucosal Melanoma. Tune in to listen to Chris's extraordinary odyssey, exploring the challenges he faced throughout his treatment journey and proving that with resilience, determination, and hope, anything is possible.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Mark Carbone, the CEO of PN Medical. PN Medical is a leader in respiratory care and research. The company created “The Breather”, the world’s first combined respiratory muscle training device to strengthen respiratory muscles to optimize blood flow, lung function and strengthen the cardiopulmonary system.

In part 2 of this special round table podcast series, we discuss the future trends and advances in cell therapy manufacturing and the impact of AI on the evolving cell therapy analytics space.

In part 1 of this special round table podcast series, we discuss the current trends and advances in cell therapy manufacturing and the impact of evolving manufacturing processes on the analytics space.

Our guest for this podcast episode is Laura Hobbs, Director of Healthcare Policy at the American Action Forum. In this episode, we discuss the Inflation Reduction Act impact on Pharma and Patient Access, along with 340b drug pricing and new PBM utilization controls. Learn more about the American Action Forum, and subscribe to their weekly newsletter here: https://www.americanactionforum.org/

In this special episode, listen to Emily Walsh Martin, PhD, Principal at Tremont Therapeutics Consulting, as she shares some of the key highlights from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s Policy Summit that was held in Washington, DC, on September 18th and 19th, 2023. Check out the full program and register to view the on-demand content online at asgct.org/advocacy/policy-summit/agenda

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law in August 2022. In this podcast episode, we look into what lies ahead as the policy implementation begins. Our guest in this episode is Dr. Robert Popovian, a clinical pharmacist and health economist with deep expertise in health policy, drug pricing and affordability, access, and patient advocacy.