Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Today’s guest on The Long Run is Aoife Brennan.
Aoife (it’s pronounced EE-fuh in her native Ireland) is the CEO of Synlogic Therapeutics. The company, based in Cambridge, Mass., is trying to build on years of work at MIT in synthetic biology.
Aoife Brennan, CEO, Synlogic
The basic idea is to create what the company calls Synthetic Biotics, or what you can call “Living Medicines.” Without getting technical just yet, the company’s biological engineers design certain genetic properties into a microbe so that it can do something specific you want under certain conditions, like, say, release certain degrading enzymes when in the presence of elevated disease-related enzymes.
The company’s lead program is for phenylketonuria (PKU). It’s a genetic disease in which the body can’t adequately clear phenylalanine, an amino acid, from the blood. Eat too much protein, and phenylalanine will build up in the bloodstream for these patients. Unless they adhere to a strict diet, PKU patients risk severe mental retardation and neurological impairment. Synlogic has engineered a lead candidate that can produce phenylalanine-degrading enzymes designed to lower phenylalanine levels to allow those with PKU to consume more natural protein.
Aoife is a physician, scientist, and immigrant. She had research experience, small biotech experience, and big biotech company experience before coming to Synlogic as chief medical officer in 2016. She was asked to step up as interim CEO in May 2018 when her predecessor left to go work on another early-stage startup. She took the permanent CEO role after a 5-month transition period.
Early in her tenure, in August, Aoife had the unpleasant task of telling employees and shareholders some bad news. The company’s lead drug candidate, designed to reduce high blood ammonia levels, failed in its most significant trial – a Phase 1b/2 randomized, placebo-controlled study. She pulled the plug.
This is the kind of rough patch that all biotech companies experience at some point. How one responds under adversity is what matters most – in biotech, and life, actually.
I enjoyed this conversation with an interesting person, working on interesting and important applications for human health. That’s pretty much this show in a nutshell.
Now, please join me and Aoife Brennan on The Long Run.
The Long Run is Sponsored by:
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
This article was first published on November 20, 2017, then revised and updated October 9, 2019
Vinod Khosla, the tech venture capitalist, has said 95 percent of VCs add zero value to a startup other than cash. About four out of every five VCs, he said, actually damage their own investments with bad advice.
When asked to apply the Khosla test to biotech, Bruce Booth of Atlas Venture estimated “20 percent or so are truly value-add.”
So who are some of these people who don’t shoot their own investments in the feet? Like Forbes and its Midas List, I don’t have an objective formula for evaluating individual VCs (Whole firms are opaque, but easier).
But after checking with subscribers of Timmerman Report, I’ve gathered some perspective on who are the ones who quietly go about their business, and do it quite well.
To get a feel, read the full article at Knect365:
This article is a preview for the Biotech Showcase, Jan. 13-15 in San Francisco. I look forward to seeing lots of Timmerman Report subscribers there. I’ll be giving a presentation on the Climb to Fight Cancer at Fred Hutch. Stay tuned for details.
Earlier this year, I led a team of 27 biotech professionals to Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
Each of us committed to raise $50,000 for cancer research at Fred Hutch. We ended up raising $1.6 million. We had an amazing time together. We all made it to the top.
I want to do it again.
This time we’re going on a trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, Mar. 19-Apr. 4, 2020.
Today I’m excited to announce this trek of a lifetime (yes, it’s a trek on plain dirt trails — we are not going to summit Everest).
We already have 12 confirmed trekkers preparing to hike to 17,500 feet. I’m looking for 8 more men and women to join us. We can take a maximum of 20 people.
Team goal: $1 million.
If this intrigues you, request an invitation (luke@timmermanreport.com).
Here are the first dozen trekkers:
Trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, past a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. (Photo: Luke Timmerman, 2018)
The money is important. But there’s more to these expeditions. They raise awareness of the progress being made in the fight against cancer. They also help build bridges — meaningful relationships — among academic and industry leaders.
Good things happen when smart people with complementary skills work together to benefit patients.
What can you do to help?
I’m excited to do this work.
Our investment in science the past 40 years is paying off. Cancer death rates are starting to come down. The five-year survival rates for cancer patients are inching upward. We’ve seen record numbers of FDA approvals for new drugs in recent years.
We have reasons to be optimistic and continue our support for science.
Thank you for joining me in the fight against cancer.
Luke
Yaks on the path to Everest Base Camp. (Photo: Luke Timmerman, 2018)
Climbers, and Sherpa, dancing at Everest Base Camp (17,500 feet).
Staying at a tea house in the village of Namche. (11,300 feet)
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Today’s guest on The Long Run is Phil Sharp.
Phil is one of the world’s most influential biologists and scientific entrepreneurs.
Phil Sharp, Institute Professor, MIT
Phil won the Nobel Prize in 1993 for his work on RNA splicing. Back in the 1970s in his MIT lab, he looked at the basics of RNA splicing. That paved the way for the discovery of “discontinuous genes.” Essentially, he showed that during mRNA splicing, cells can edit out certain snippets of genetic code (introns). That means that what we think of as a gene can lay down different instructions, for making more than one different kind of protein. That basic insight sheds light on what goes awry with cancer and certain genetic diseases.
Coming of age as a biologist in the late 1970s, Phil was in the right place at the right time. He paired up with the trailblazing biologist Wally Gilbert of Harvard, and others, to co-found Biogen in 1978. The biotech industry was just beginning.
In this episode, we started by talking about Phil’s upbringing on a family farm in Kentucky. His path was not pre-ordained. In this conversation, he talks about finding his way as a young man in science. Toward the end, we touch on the early days at Biogen.
We didn’t discuss the more recent chapters of his career, which includes the co-founding of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, the RNA interference drug developer, in 2002. That would take more than an hour.
Now before we start the episode, a couple quick things.
Today’s sponsor is PPD Biotech.
As your drug development program advances, it’s critical to select the right CRO partner for your innovative therapy. With a full set of development services and global reach, PPD Biotech offers teams that are dedicated to biotech and small to mid size pharma.
PPD Biotech knows that every milestone, every project update, every change in direction is important. Committed to close alignment and the right cultural fit, PPD Biotech works as an extension of your team every step of the way to find innovative solutions that get your treatments to the clinic faster.
To learn more about PPD Biotech visit www.PPDbiotech.com.
Are you a marquee service provider to the industry, eager to get your name out in front of the biotech leaders who listen to this show? Ask me about sponsorship opportunities. luke@timmermanreport.com.
Now, please join me and Phil Sharp on The Long Run.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Today’s guest on The Long Run is Bruce Carter.
Bruce Carter, chairman of the board, TB Alliance
Bruce is the chairman of the board at the New York-based TB Alliance. He’s a senior statesman of the industry, known for his run as CEO of Seattle-based ZymoGenetics, and for serving on a variety of boards. He’s the chairman of the board at Watertown, Mass.-based Enanta Pharmaceuticals, the developer of protease inhibitors for hepatitis C, which are key components of a very effective HCV cocktail marketed by AbbVie.
But I didn’t ask Bruce on the show to talk about hepatitis C.
In this conversation, I wanted to ask Bruce about an important new development against another big infectious scourge – tuberculosis. The TB Alliance, without pretty limited fanfare, has grown up with a nonprofit drug development model. It has taken straight aim at the market’s failure to develop new treatments for this common, and deadly, disease in the developing world. The effort paid off. The TB Alliance won FDA approval last month for a new TB drug for extensively drug-resistant forms of the bug, and for highly resistant patients.
This is a conversation worth having. The TB Alliance provides an interesting case study in how good things can happen when governments, philanthropists, regulators, and industry all chip in for a common cause. None of those entities could make a difference for TB if they tried to operate in isolation, but they can make a difference if they each chip in something, if they’re willing to be flexible, and take on a fair amount of risk. I think this could be a model for other aspiring nonprofit drug developers to follow.
Now, please join me and Bruce Carter on The Long Run.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Today’s guest on The Long Run is Ted Love.
Ted Love, CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics
Ted is the CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics, known as GBT for short. The company, based in South San Francisco, is on the cusp of bringing forward the first innovative, disease-modifying medicine for sickle cell disease.
GBT has run a pivotal clinical trial in 274 patients, gotten the results published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and is in the midst of filing a rolling submission of a New Drug Application to the FDA for this medicine, called voxelotor, or vox, for short. It’s a once-daily oral pill. If things move on schedule, GBT should be cleared to market this therapy in the first half of 2020.
It’s hard to overstate how important this new medicine will be. This is National Sickle Cell Awareness month. Since there’s a reason we need such a thing – there’s a lack of widespread awareness of sickle cell — let’s cover some of the basics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is estimated that:
This is a chronic disease that causes severe anemia, fatigue, pain, strokes, and premature death. It disproportionately dishes out its suffering in the African-American community of the US. Imagine trying to live with this constant burden of pain and fatigue. Sickle cell is unquestionably a big drag on human productivity, and any drug that can get a good number of those 100,000 patients back on their feet and living a normal life has a viable argument to make in the world of health economics.
In this episode, as usual, I start out by asking Ted about his early life experiences, and key career junctures that led him to this renaissance moment in the treatment of sickle cell. In the second half of the conversation, we cover the science, the business, and some of the societal access issues GBT has to address to make this product as successful as it could be.
Now, please join me and Ted Love on The Long Run.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
Please subscribe and tell your friends why it’s worthwhile. Quality journalism costs money. When you subscribe to Timmerman Report at $149 per year, you reward quality independent biotech reporting, and encourage more.
The Kilimanjaro Climb to Fight Cancer was a marvelous experience. In every way.
Weeks later, I’m still absorbing what it means to scientists at Fred Hutch, and to the biotech community.
To start, consider the numbers:
Equally important, if not moreso, were the things you can’t quantify.
The relationships formed on this climb were meaningful. They will last a lifetime.
As you can see in the KOMO-TV report below, and hear in the satellite-phone audio reports below, this team was imbued with a spirit of kindness and generosity. There was joy and good humor. The Tanzanian crew that supported this trip touched us all deeply.
As Bob More of Alta Partners, one of the climbers, said on summit day: “I often tell my children that life is about three things. It’s about relationships, experiences, and being part of something bigger than yourself. This trip has all three.”
Now at home, many of the climbers are trying to apply some of the spirit from this trip to their everyday lives. They are organizing mini-reunions on their own. I don’t know how you measure the impact of such a thing, but I’m excited to see where this leads.
Count on me to continue climbing mountains to support the cancer research cause. A big part of my task will be mobilizing the biotech community to give back.
To all who supported this Climb to Fight Cancer campaign — thank you from the bottom of my heart.
— Luke Timmerman
KOMO News, Aug. 16, 2019
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Ladies and Gentlemen. Friends. Family and loved ones. It’s your favorite team — Climb to Fight Cancer!
We’re giving a shout from our first camp at Machame on Kilimanjaro. It’s July 20th.
We were fortunate enough to make our way from Arusha, at the hotel, to the mountain. It’s our first day of walking. We went from 6,300 feet, and walked our way up to 9,900 feet at the Machame camp, at the edge of the heather and forested moorland zone. We had a bit of late start, rolling in right about dark with a little song and dance.
We are a team of 29 individuals. A good-sized group. We have approximately 115 Tanzanian staff.
We are all doing fantastic. Very happy to be here.
Eric Murphy (left), Kilimanjaro lead guide, Alpine Ascents International. Photographed with me at Machame camp, Kilimanjaro, 9,900 feet. July 20, 2019
Luke Timmerman: Hi, this is Luke Timmerman, team captain of the Kilimanjaro Climb to Fight Cancer. Here at our first camp, 9,900 feet of elevation on Kilimanjaro.
I want to say Thank You to all the donors out there who made this campaign a huge success. We’ve raised $1.5 million for cancer research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
And we’re not done.
I have a little tidbit of breaking news. One of our climbers, Dan Bradbury, tells me he just got a donation from Goldman Sachs for $5,000. He found out about it via text message when he landed here in Tanzania.
So, for those of you who have heard about this expedition, and still would like to contribute, all of our climber pages – all 27 of us – still have active fundraising pages.
Go to fredhutch.org/climb.
Now, as for this expedition itself — we are having a wonderful time. The conversations people are having — on the trail, in the hotel, around camp – it’s something special. We are enjoying the Tanzanian culture. The food, the hospitality, the service. It’s exceptional. The people are wonderful.
It was a little bit emotional for me to see all of this come together. We’re making something special happen. I really appreciate all of you out there who have helped make this possible.
Thank you very much.
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Hey everybody, it’s your favorite team: Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
It’s the 21st of July. We are now located at 12,500 feet. On the broad expanse of the Shira Plateau. We are doing fantastic. We had about 5.5 to 6 hours of climbing today. Everybody did wonderful. We had great weather. Lots of sunshine. Good food.
We just celebrated Luke’s birthday with a cake.
[Cheers]
Everyone is doing fantastic. We thank all of you for following along.
Nina Kjellson: Hi, this is Nina Kjellson, one of the climbers on the team.
Nina Kjellson, general partner, Canaan Partners
Today we had some minor rock scrambling. It was a beautiful, beautiful day.
Tomorrow gets a little more real. It will be 8-9 hours, going from our current 12,500 feet, up to over 15,000 feet, then back down to 13,000 and change. So we prepped today for altitude sickness. What to look for, and what we’ll do about it. There were definitely a lot of questions, and some butterflies.
Climb high, sleep low – and slow, slow – are our mantras.
We have each others’ backs.
As Eric said, we had a marvelous celebration of Luke’s birthday, including a great hot meal. And fabulous cake.
My reflections on this trip so far are that it has exceeded every expectation. Luke and a couple of us had a strong commitment to making this a gender balanced team, which we did. We are 13 women and 14 men. Beyond that, we also span in age from the early 30s to the early 60s. We represent a broad span of backgrounds, geographies, and current biopharma gigs. We are definitely common in purpose and curiosity. And definitely common in our nerdiness.
Nina Kjellson (left), taking a break on Kilimanjaro with Katrine Bosley and Zoe Barry.
Our conversations have spanned from T-cell biology and the microbiome to business strategy and culture and leadership, as you might expect. But we’ve also discussed music, hobbies, travel, literature, family life, practical jokes, and of course, the potty humor that comes with bodily changes at altitude and eating different foods.
We’re having a lot of fun, and truly connecting.
For all of you out there sponsoring us, supporting us, and wishing us well — Asante Sana!
That’s Swahili for Thank You Very Much.
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Friends, family, loved ones, sponsors. It’s Team Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
It’s the 22nd of July.
We’re coming to you live at 8:15 pm Tanzania time. From 12,900 feet here at Barranco Camp. At the due Southwest corner of the mountain. Beneath, the mighty, beautiful Breach Wall.
We are tired.
But we’re happy. We had a wonderful day. From Shira, we went up to Lava Tower, our high point at just over 15,000 feet. Some of the team opted to do the scramble to the top of Lava Tower, where we got some additional fun photos and views.
Then we made our way down into the beautiful Barranco Valley.
We are located at THE most beautiful camp on the mountain.
It was a long day. 9-10 hours for us. High altitude. We are tired. We are looking forward to some horizontal time, having been fed well and treated lovely by our amazing Tanzanian crew.
[Cheers]
Katrine Bosley: Thanks, Eric. This is Katrine Bosley.
I want to try to share with you a little bit of what it’s like being up here.
Katrine Bosley, biotech entrepreneur
You think about a climb like this, and you tend to first think of what you see.
The amazing views.
The red flame of the gladiolus flowers by the trail.
The pink and the gold rays of the sunset as they touch the peak of Kilimanjaro, just before it dips below the horizon.
But you sense this mountain with all five senses.
There are smells of the wild mint. It looks like thyme. The leaves are really full. But the smell is a little minty, a little tangy. It’s different.
Today we were hiking in much dustier conditions. Taste for me – we’ve had wonderful food, but on the trail, I was tasting the dust all day long [laughs].
Then there’s what you hear. You hear the cawing of the ravens. They’re swirling above us. On Lava Tower they were swirling below us, which was amazing.
You also hear the gentle reminders from our guides, to go “Pole, Pole.” It means “slowly, slowly.”
And there’s touch.
At lunch today, we were in a beautiful, sunny, rocky place. And the warmth of the sun had made the rocks warm. You could lay down and feel it soothing your aching muscles.
Then there’s touch in the morning when you put on your backpack and it settles onto your shoulders, and you clip the hip straps and feel it settle onto your hips.
Then when you’re climbing and you feel your toes in your boots finding their right grip.
And I’ll tell you right now, there’s a particular feeling I’m looking forward to. It’s lying in the sleeping bag, when you feel your body warming up the space and make a toasty little cocoon. Think of us all in our toasty little cocoons, lined up on the shoulder of Kilimanjaro with the stars of the Southern Hemisphere above us. That arc of the Milky Way is splayed out above us.
That’s where we’re heading in about 32 seconds.
So,
Usiku mwema, Lala salama
That’s Swahili for “Good night, and sleep well.”
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Hi friends, it’s Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
It’s the 23rd of July. We’re coming to you live from Karanga Camp. On the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro. 13,300 feet above sea level.
It’s about 8:30 pm Tanzania time.
We are well fed and getting ready for bed.
A couple of our teammates, Ken and Spencer, would like to tell you guys about camp life.
Ken Brunt: Thanks, Eric. I want to give you a little overview of camp life, more specifically, tent life.
What happens in tents, stays in tents. Until now.
Ken Brunt, vice president of customer operations, Veracyte
Our rules are: No spilling pee bottles. No farting. And by all means, do not bring in collapsible pee bottles and misplace the lid after filling it. Spencer…
Another tactic we employ in our tent is tent setup and breakdown. It’s really easy when you follow Spencer’s strategy.
Act like you’re struggling until a porter sees you and offers to help [laughs]. Or just patiently wait it out.
You’ll get the help, eventually.
Anything you’d like to add about camp life?
Spencer Guthrie: Yeah, I’d like to add that tent placement is especially important. We like to have our tent close to the bathroom, because the smell puts us to sleep quickly.
Spencer Guthrie, biotech entrepreneur
It’s also important to have a good tentmate, that you let get in there to organize all of his things – and maybe some of your things – before you even get in there. Being lazy pays off a little.
It’s really nice being here with so many smart people. And then me and Ken.
We’re been nominated for potty humor for that very reason.
I’d also like to say we are extremely grateful to the Tanzanian crew. They are amazing.
We came here for the mountain and the charity, which are amazing, but it’s been great to spend time with the Tanzanian people.
Now I want to hand it back to Ken.
Ken Brunt: I want to give a quick overview of what the day entailed.
It was an early start. About an hour earlier than our normal days. We were trying to get ahead of the pack. We had a steep climb out of camp, up the Barranco Wall. It was short, but there was lots of rock scrambling. The scrambling was fun, and the group did awesome. We have a few rock stars around here. It was a lot of fun. A great day. A short day. We got lots of naps in. A little bit of card play for some of us.
I want to close with a shout out to friends and family, the Veracyte family. Your support means the world. We have about 300 employees, and we have about 75 percent participation in support of this climb. It’s pretty awesome.
[Cheers]
Eric Murphy: Thanks to all. Tune in tomorrow as we head up to High Camp, and get ready to head to the top.
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Friends, family, loved ones, sponsors. It’s Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
We are at high camp on Kilimanjaro. 15,800 feet above sea level. It’s July 24th. Just before 4 pm.
We are all here, and we are all doing well. We are all in our final preparations of getting ready to go up to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Starting at midnight tonight.
Kristin Anderson: In preparation for our summit, we thought it would be a nice opportunity to highlight some parallels between a cancer journey and the journey of summiting a mountain.
Kristin Anderson, postdoctoral fellow, Greenberg Lab, Fred Hutch
My name is Kristin.
My story, very briefly, is that I’m a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with aggressive, triple-negative breast cancer when I was 28. I went through a really intense chemotherapy and surgery and reconstruction. It took about a year. I know that every cancer journey is incredibly unique.
I also know that because it is unique for every individual, it can be incredibly isolating.
It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. [sniffs]
In my experience, at my low points, from faith, to an unexpected card or email, or a meal prepared by a friend – all these things reminded me that I was not alone.
On this mountain, when I’ve had low points, or struggles, a shared snack, a word of support, or reaching camp to a chorus of guides and porters singing really enthusiastically – it’s been a real morale booster. It’s been impossible to convey just how valuable the small gestures really are.
No. 2. On my cancer journey, there were many long, exhausting stretches that were punctuated by really short breaks. Really short reprieves.
Kristin Anderson on the summit of Kilimanjaro, July 25, 2019.
A visit from a friend.
A day where I finally felt like myself again.
Or good news from a doctor. They were all short breaks that made a huge difference in my mental health on that journey.
On the mountain, we push hard. Consistently, and slowly. Each push is punctuated by a short break. A delicious snack. Some information about a 100-year-old plant that only flowers on this mountain, or in this part of the world.
Or maybe you see a beautiful view that you only get from the ceiling of Africa.
These are the brief breaks we get on this trip that help keep us going.
Finally, parallel number 3 is the fear of the unknown. Every cancer journey, because it is unique, is also unpredictable. Our journey up the mountain is similar. It’s unpredictable. We have incredible guides who are experienced. They can give us lots of information about what may happen.
Just like how a doctor can set expectations for a patient. But nothing is ever certain.
It’s moments like this that I feel the impact of our mission. Raising money to research cures to provide hope, and lessen the fear of the unknown, for all the patients out there.
So thank you, friends, family, loved ones, and cancer haters everywhere for all of your support.
We’ll see you on the other side.
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Friends, family, loved ones, sponsors, the world.
It’s your favorite team here on Kilimanjaro. Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
Bob More: Hello folks, this is Bob More of Alta Partners. Reporting from Millennium Camp at 12,200 feet, with just incredible news.
We went 27 out of 27 on people summiting today on Mt. Kilimanjaro.
[Cheers]
It’s probably honestly something that none of us really expected.
It’s a tribute to everybody on the team. It’s a tribute to Luke. And it’s a tribute especially to Alpine Ascents International for helping us get to the top of the mountain.
We had an incredible day. We had perfect weather.
We woke up at 11 pm, which is a bit early for a wake-up call. We began the ascent and arrived at around sunrise. So it was timed perfectly.
From the top of Kilimanjaro, you could see the curvature of the Earth.
You could see the shadow cast from Kilimanjaro over Mt. Meru.
It was just an incredible scene. I’m so proud of everybody, and so proud to be part of this. Again, this is for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. We’re all part of a team. One team, one dream. We’re all really excited to have made it to the top today.
I often tell my children that life is about three things.
Alec More (left) and Bob More.
It’s about relationships, experiences, and being part of something bigger than yourself. This trip has all three of those.
Now I’ll turn it over to my son, Alec.
Alec More: I’m the son and unfortunate tentmate of Bob More.
It was a great day. We went 27 for 27. We owe that to our wonderful team leaders.
As far as the trip, it’s kind of coming to a close.
We head back to Arusha tomorrow. Reflecting back, the team was amazing. Amazingly positive, amazingly supportive. Whenever anyone needed something, the rest of the team rallied around.
Getting to the summit a little after 6 am today, and seeing the sunrise, proved that Eric knew what he was doing. He got us there right around the right time. It’s been an amazing week. I’m so thankful to be a part of it. I’m thankful to Luke for bringing us all out here.
Bob More: Making hard things look easy is very difficult. It’s a credit to everybody here. Everyone on the team pulled their weight and more. We’re very excited for a successful climb.
I hope this is one of many in the future.
Thanks everybody for listening.
Eric Murphy: We’ll try to give you guys one more shout from Arusha after we’re showered and cleaned and fed. We’ll also be getting some pictures out on the Cybercast. Stay tuned.
Eric Murphy, lead guide: Hey everyone, it’s Climb to Fight!
[Cheers]
We’re giving one last shout to our friends, and our families, and donors, from Arusha, Tanzania.
We are here celebrating in the city, after making our way off Kilimanjaro back to the hotel for showers and here for our celebration dinner.
[Cheers]
Nancy Miller-Rich: Hello everyone, my name is Nancy Miller-Rich. I wanted to give you some facts about what it was like to summit.
We had a great day. All 27 of us summited.
Nancy Miller-Rich, chief executive, Miller-Rich Associates
But I’ll say, there was some of us who had some – I’d just say — up-and-down experiences. I was one of those people. My husband made me promise not to make any headlines.
I think I was pretty close to making some headlines. [laughs]
It was really an amazing day, and an amazing family of people we have met here.
My issues came when we started hitting 15,000 feet, and I realized I was really having altitude sickness. After we hit 15,000 feet, we went down, and slept, and then as we got up at 11 pm the next evening, and started our trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro, at about 3 am, many of us on the 4th or 5th push started getting sick.
But everyone else picked themselves up. I didn’t seem to have the ability to do that.
What was amazing to me, was a young Tanzanian fellow came by and asked, “Do you want to go up, or go down? Let me carry your bag.” This young person just took me by the side and was my guardian.
He took me up the trail. It was amazing. When we reached the top, about 6:30 or 7 am, I was looking over the views of Kilimanjaro – which are absolutely breathtaking – I also looked at this young man who helped us, and helped me, and Alpine Ascents. I knew I could never have done it without him. He said ‘Congratulations, you summited.’ I said ‘No, no, we summited.’ That’s the way it felt. We were a team and we were in it together.
Nancy Miller-Rich (left) on Kilimanjaro.
Interestingly enough, it wasn’t just a difficult summit, but as you went down, it was difficult going down. But everyone was there for each other.
It was an amazing experience.
My closing insight is that not only is Kilimanjaro amazing, but the people of Tanzania are incredible in their caring, their compassion, and their strength.
I know, I, for one, met some incredible people in this industry that I didn’t know before.
I am so thankful to Alpine Ascents. I’m thankful to you, Luke, for setting this up. Our guides were unbelievable.
Eric Murphy: Thanks Nancy. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all for following along. That’s all.
Sandy Zweifach, president and CEO, Nuvelution Pharma
By Sandy Zweifach
Would you climb Kili one day
Not at all is what I did say
Not with Peter, Simba or Uciane
I would not climb Kili on any given day
What about with Zoe and her Instashots?
Or Praveen with his boom box on the way to the top?
No. And not with Nancy Rich or Leslie or Bill
Even though no matter how sick — these ladies will crush the hill
With about with Bob and his smallest pack?
And his son Alec on his back?
Or Dan the man (who I hear did throw up)
Not with Spencer, who will never grow up
How about with Katrine and Julia — two women CEOs?
Katrine shakes her booty like no one would know
Not with Adam, Ken or Oren each six feet long
Nor with little engine, Nancy Hong
Not with Kirsten, or Kristen — come that’s too much!
Or even with Kelly, leader from the Hutch
Please stop. Don’t suggest I would go with Heather
I know at the top is freezing weather
Senthil or Heidi, to them I would say
Let’s go to St Bart’s and have a warm day!
I will not climb Kili is what I did say
But I didn’t know Luke would lead us this way
To Eric and Lakpa whose wisdom and skills would blow me away
So finally I did say Yes to the climb
With my amazing wife Nina whom I was dragging behind
I sure am glad I made it this way
And together we will fight cancer every day
Today’s guest on The Long Run is Joel Marcus.
Joel Marcus, founder and executive chairman, Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Joel is the executive chairman and founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities. If you have spent five minutes in the biotech industry, you’ve been in one of his buildings. Alexandria is one of just a couple of the big real-estate investment trusts (REITs) that cater to the life sciences industry. ARE has major properties in Cambridge, Mass., New York, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and more.
Buying, spiffing up, and flipping, real estate by itself doesn’t strike me as very interesting. But that’s not what ARE does. ARE takes a very expansive view of its role in the biotech world. For sure, it starts with a canny sense of innovation clusters, where to buy land in those clusters, and what to do with the property. But ARE invests with a venture capital arm, it convenes executives and investors as a trusted third party, it even has ongoing dialogues with the FDA about things it can do to help facilitate more innovation.
It’s quite interesting to hear Joel talk about the company’s strategy on investing in biotech clusters, and how it has expanded over time into this wider view of how to stir up more innovation for human health.
Now, please join me and Joel Marcus on The Long Run.
