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26
Jun
2022

Women’s Rights Are Under Attack, and Biotech Can Respond  

On Friday night, after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, my extended family gathered around my mother’s dining table. We were supposed to be there to celebrate my 18-year-old niece’s graduation from high school. We ended up talking late into the night, discussing the implications of the Court’s majority opinion which will greatly restrict access to safe...
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21
Jun
2022

Why Kymab Agreed to be Acquired by Sanofi

UK-based Kymab made headlines back in January 2021. Sanofi agreed to acquire the antibody drug developer for $1.1 billion upfront, plus $350 million in potential milestones. The main attraction for Sanofi was KY1005, a monoclonal antibody targeting OX40L, a regulator of the immune system. Five months before the deal, Kymab announced it hit both primary endpoints of a Phase 2a...
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14
Jun
2022

Seattle Children’s Invests $45M in Minority Scientists Tackling Pediatric Disease

Many bright young people never get a chance to fulfill their potential as scientists because they never get on the usual scientific career on-ramps. Many young people who get sick struggle because no one had the motivation or the wherewithal to develop new treatments or diagnostics. Seattle Children’s Research Institute sees the problems, and has crafted a major initiative to...
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2
Jun
2022

Out in the Community in 2022

TR subscribers: I’m traveling more, and looking forward to seeing more of you in person. I’ll be at the BIO Convention in San Diego, June 13-15. They have plenty of outdoor patio space overlooking the ocean at the San Diego Convention Center. Let’s chat. While at BIO meeting people and gathering ideas, I’m also moderating a panel on improving diversity,...
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24
May
2022

Seeking Wellness Through More Data, Less Technology, and Better Habits

It only took a pandemic, but well-being has at last emphatically arrived in the corporate world. Before the pandemic, wellness was often viewed as just another item on the HR benefit menu. Some companies offered limited reimbursement for fitness classes, or subsidized access to select health and wellness apps. But in the turbulent wake of COVID-19, well-being is increasingly viewed...
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23
May
2022

Sachi Bioworks: Out of the University, Into Outer Space

When they started their first venture together, Dr. Anushree Chatterjee and Dr. Prashant Nagpal were both leading research labs at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Prashant’s lab focused on nanotechnology and molecular biology: Anushree’s focused on building antibiotics for drug-resistant bacteria.  That startup, Praan Biosciences, was founded in 2014 to develop improved genetic sequencing technology. Anushree and Prashant had one...
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19
May
2022

A Path Forward for More Biotech Workers

Biotech needs more workers. More people who don’t have PhDs and MDs. The industry is 40 years old, and maturing. More companies are developing commercial products. Someone needs to make these products with precision, and at scale. Given the sophisticated nature of the products (cell therapy, gene therapy, advanced biologics, RNA medicines), the fragile global supply chains, and the importance...
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12
May
2022

Changing the Balance of Power

Early in my career as a physician, I took care of a woman who died from complications of an abortion procedure. The patient had traveled to the blue state where I practiced, from a red state where she lived that restricted abortion access, to obtain care she couldn’t find or afford at home. She had previously gotten a procedure performed...
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