Base to Base Biotech

Base to Base Biotech

por Jim Cornall
MedicinaCiencias de la Vida
Base to Base biotech podcast 77: Transferring mammal traits to humans, and is injecting tumours a new way to kill cancer?
This week, we chat with Evan Appleton, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Intertwined, a company focused on understanding mammalian evolved protective traits, and how they can be transferred to humans. And we chat with Lew Bender, CEO of Intensity Therapeutics, which is pioneering an intratumoral injection therapy primarily for breast cancer that not only kills the cancer cells in the tumour but throughout the body as well, acting as almost a cancer-killing vaccine. Times: 04:22 Intertwined 29:06 Intensity Therapeutics Intensity Therapeutics Intensity is a late-stage clinical biotech company whose novel engineered chemistry enables aqueous cytotoxic-containing drug formulations to mix and saturate a tumour's dense, high-fat, pressurised environment following direct intratumoral injection. Its clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of INT230-6 to kill tumours and elicit an adaptive immune response within days of injection, representing a new approach to cancer cell death that holds the potential to shift the treatment paradigm and turn many deadly cancers into chronic diseases, even for malignancies that do not respond to conventional immunotherapy. Intensity has completed two clinical studies: a phase 1/2 dose-escalation study in metastatic cancers including sarcomas, and a phase 2 randomised controlled clinical trial in locally advanced breast cancer in women without undergoing chemotherapy prior to their surgery. Intertwined Evolution has led to species developing in different ways. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution have produced animals that resist diseases humans still struggle to treat. The mechanisms are already there - in their cells, in their DNA. Intertwined Biosciences is using those “blueprints” to decode disease-resistance mechanisms from the world’s most resilient animals and engineer them into human immune cells - powered by the company’s Virtual Immune Cell model. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E77
25 sept 2026
53:56
Base to Base biotech podcast 76: Early disease detection and beating CNS cancers
This week, we have conversations with Marc Hedrick, CEO of Cerenome, about a combined approach to tackling central nervous system (CNS) cancers, and Shaun Holt, CEO of Alveo Technologies, about the potential for animal diseases to jump to humans, and what we can do about it. Times: 03:27 Cerenome 28:27 Alveo Technologies Cerenome Cerenome, formerly known as Plus Therapeutics, is a central nervous system (CNS) oncology company advancing an integrated platform that combines precision diagnostics, targeted therapeutics, and artificial intelligence to improve outcomes for patients with central nervous system cancers. The company’s CNSide Diagnostics platform supports the detection, molecular characterisation, and longitudinal monitoring of CNS cancers through cerebrospinal fluid-based testing. Its lead therapeutic platform, REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda), is being evaluated in clinical trials for leptomeningeal metastases, recurrent glioblastoma, and paediatric brain cancers. The data and artificial intelligence platform is designed to integrate diagnostic, molecular, imaging, and clinical data into actionable insights that support precision oncology and therapeutic innovation. Alveo Technologies Alveo Technologies, Inc. is a global molecular diagnostics company working on rapid, point-of-need molecular diagnostics for early disease detection. It has developed a portable, cloud-connected platform that brings laboratory-quality pathogen detection directly to the Point of Need for farmers, veterinarians and public health officials. By decentralising molecular diagnostics, Alveo enables rapid detection and decision-making to help protect animal and human health, food security and supply chain resiliency. The company recently announced a strategic partnership with AgriNerds Inc, which has developed the Waterfowl Alert Network, a first-of-its-kind dynamic surveillance and awareness programme that predicts historic and daily waterfowl activity around the nation's poultry and livestock farms. The partnership will pair Alveo's molecular diagnostic with AgriNerds' Waterfowl Alert Network, a proprietary system that uses a combination of satellite imagery, weather radar, and telemetry to create daily farm-level HPAI risk scores based on remote sensing and HPAI surveillance data. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E76
18 sept 2026
53:41
Base to Base biotech podcast 75: AI-powered diagnostics and cancer immunotherapy
Times: 03:17 Asgard Therapeutics 32:43 Waiv This week, we talk to a company in Lund, Asgard Therapeutics, and its co-founder and CEO Cristiana Pires, about in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, and we chat about clinical diagnostics with Meriem Sefta, CEO of Waiv. Asgard Therapeutics Asgard Therapeutics is a biotech pioneering in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy. Asgard is using an innovative approach to force tumour cells to present their antigens to the immune system, thereby triggering personalised anti-tumour immune responses. The team presented advanced preclinical data on lead asset AT-108 at ASGCT earlier this year, showing that, when used as a monotherapy, AT-108 doubled median survival. When used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade, AT-108 demonstrated strong anti-tumour activity, including significantly extending survival and achieving complete tumour regressions. AI-powered diagnostics Waiv is a precision oncology company that spun out of Owkin last year to focus exclusively on AI-powered diagnostics. Waiv uses its AI to analyse routine pathology images, helping clinicians identify patients who may benefit from further molecular testing and ultimately the right treatment, without requiring additional tissue needed by requesting additional painful patient biopsies or changes to clinical workflow. Its tests accelerate biomarker discovery and detection, outcome prediction, and treatment-response assessment across oncology. Built on over seven years of validated medical-AI innovation and one of Europe’s largest multi-institutional data networks, Waiv delivers precise, accurate, and fast analyses that support treatment decisions. It collaborates with global pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, diagnostic organisations and healthcare systems to bring scalable precision medicine to patients worldwide. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E75
11 sept 2026
1:02:38
Base to Base biotech podcast 74: A vision for vision, and studying pancreatic cancer
This week, our guests are Bryan McClellan, who conducted research on pancreatic cancer as a postdoctoral fellow at Dell Medical School, and William Matsui, the study's senior author and former executive vice dean for research at Dell Medical School; and Theialife president and CEO, Thomas Ruggia, about myopia. 02:26 Theialife 27:38 University of Texas Theialife Theialife is a global ophthalmology drug development company focused on advancing first-in-class therapies that aim to address major unmet needs in eye diseases. The company’s lead asset, ND10 (7-Methylxanthine), is an oral therapy designed to slow paediatric myopia progression, for which phase 3 clinical trial planning is currently under way. Theialife is building a pipeline of differentiated ophthalmic programmes targeting indications that include dry eye disease, wet age-related macular degeneration, and corneal blindness. Thealife’s mission is to develop transformative therapies to address significant unmet needs of vision care worldwide. Research uncovers new driver of immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer Pancreatic tumours can resist immunotherapy by recruiting nearby immune cells to help protect them, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. The findings, published in Nature Communications, point to a potential new strategy for overcoming resistance and improving cellular therapies. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the US by 2030. CAR T-cell therapy, which re-engineers a patient's own T cells to hunt tumours, has transformed treatment for several blood cancers but has repeatedly stalled against solid tumours such as pancreatic cancer, where early responses fade and tumours return. Researchers found dormant tumour cells protected themselves by recruiting other immune cells. The cells released a protein called EREG that activated nearby macrophages, immune cells that help coordinate the body's immune response. Those macrophages then suppressed CAR T cells, reducing the therapy's effectiveness. When macrophages were removed, the protective effect disappeared. Blocking EREG changed outcomes in mice. Median survival increased from about five weeks to more than four months, and tumours were eradicated in half of the treated animals. The approach prevented relapses. Researchers also saw similar results when they used an antibody to block EREG instead of preventing tumour cells from producing it. Because antibodies can be developed as medicines, the findings suggest the approach could have potential for patients. The researchers found the same pattern in human tissue. Across 23 patient tumour samples, EREG was concentrated in dormant cancer cells, and tumours rich in those cells contained fewer cancer-killing T cells. In a separate national tumour database, patients with high EREG expression had a five-year survival rate of zero, compared with 33% among patients with low expression. Because EREG appears to shield tumours from immune attack rather than drive their growth, they suggest it could serve two roles: as a target to improve cellular therapies already in clinical testing for pancreatic cancer, and as a biomarker to identify tumours that are keeping immune cells out. McClellan and Matsui are now in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at UT MD. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E74
4 sept 2026
1:01:09
Base to Base biotech podcast 73: Polymacrocyclic peptides and AI in drug discovery and diagnosis
This week, our guests are chief scientific officer of Valo Health, Karin Conde-Knape, and Karsten Eastman, CEO of Sethera Therapeutics. Times: 03:06 Sethera Therapeutics 20:08 Valo Health Valo Health Our guest from Valo Health is chief scientific officer Karin Conde-Knape. As head of global drug discovery at Novo Nordisk, she helped expand the company’s research pipeline to more than 100 programmes across new therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular and liver diseases. Earlier this year, she joined Valo Health, bringing AI, real-world patient data and predictive chemistry to rethink drug discovery from the ground up. Valo Health said it is redefining drug discovery and development through its AI-enabled human causal biology and closed loop chemistry platforms. It uses AI to understand disease causality, identify patient sub­types across heterogeneous diseases, and pin­point novel drug targets. The company validates targets using 3D engineered human tissue models that mimic mature human physiology and structure. The company’s closed loop chemistry platform enables rapid development of potential molecules from trillions of starting points. Valo’s approach aims to identify more impactful drug targets and small molecule therapeutics, faster, and with greater precision than traditional R&D methods. The company works with global pharmaceutical partners, including Novo Nordisk and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in addition to advancing its own pipeline. Valo was founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2019. Sethera Therapeutics Sethera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a polymacrocyclic peptide discovery platform based on enzymatic cross-linking chemistry. The platform enables the generation and screening of highly constrained peptide architectures designed to access chemical and biological space that is difficult to reach with conventional small molecules, biologics, or traditional peptide approaches. Sethera's technology was originally developed at the University of Utah and is exclusively licensed to the company. By collaborating with industry leaders and research institutions, Sethera aims to unlock new possibilities in drug discovery and development for targets that are difficult to address with existing therapeutic modalities. The company recently announced a collaborative breast cancer research project with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has received funding through the Fiscal Year 2025 Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award, administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The award supports innovative, high-impact research aimed at advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E73
28 ago 2026
50:49
Base to Base biotech podcast 72: Cell-free DNA bioproduction
This week, we have a conversation about the Flexible Automation for Scalable Health (FLASH) programme, focused on the development of scalable cell-free DNA bioproduction capabilities. Our guests are John Schiel, program manager at ARPA-H; DNA Script co-founder and CTO, Xavier Godron; and John Nelson, senior biosciences principal and FLASH program lead at GE HealthCare’s Healthcare Technology and Innovation Center. $26m ARPA-H funding for cell-free DNA bioproduction DNA Script and prime awardee GE HealthCare have been awarded up to $26m in funding for a four-year initiative from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The award will support the advancement of the FLASH programme, focused on the development of scalable cell-free DNA bioproduction capabilities and powered in part by DNA Script’s enzymatic DNA synthesis (EDS) technology and SYNTAX platform. Led by GE HealthCare, FLASH aims to develop a modular, automated platform for the rapid, distributed manufacturing of high-fidelity DNA to support research and potential future applications in personalised medicines, vaccines, and other genetic health technologies. DNA Script’s EDS technology supports this goal by enabling faster and more flexible DNA manufacturing workflows. DNA Script is contributing its EDS technology and acting as the technical solution integrator for the project. It has adapted its solution to incorporate GE HealthCare’s DNA scaling technology, complementing DNA Script’s EDS technology, with the goal of eventually deploying the integrated platform across US medical research centres, universities, and federal agencies. John Schiel, program manager at ARPA-H, said: “ARPA-H solutions are designed to address hard problems with bold, practical approaches. Projects like FLASH exemplify how scalable, platform-based technologies can transform the way health solutions are developed, produced, and delivered.” Marc Montserrat, DNA Script CEO, said: “Our enzymatic DNA synthesis platform is ideally suited for the on-demand manufacturing model FLASH is pioneering. Collaborating with GE HealthCare on an ARPA-H program of this scale shortens the path from research bench to patient bedside for next-generation therapies, personalized vaccines, and the broader genetic-medicine pipeline.” John Nelson, senior biosciences principal and FLASH program lead, GE HealthCare’s Healthcare Technology and Innovation Center, said: “GE HealthCare’s Technology & Innovation Center drives exploratory and translational research focused on addressing healthcare challenges through federal funding, academic collaboration, and private-sector research and development. As personalized and time-sensitive genetic medicines continue to advance, there is a growing need for manufacturing approaches that are faster, more flexible, and more accessible. Our vision for the FLASH program is to develop new DNA-based medicines on demand quickly, safely, and at scale.” To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E72
21 ago 2026
35:40
Base to Base biotech podcast 71: The IgA/CD89 axis
This week, we have a conversation Paweł Szczepański, CEO of JJP Biologics about specially-built antibodies to tackle autoimmune diseases and cancer. JJP Biologics JJP Biologics is a clinical-stage biotech that leverages its in-depth understanding of immune pathway science in autoimmune diseases and cancer. Starting from deep mechanistic insights, JJPBio engineers antibodies that are built-to-order, designed to restore immune balance and deliver better disease control for patients with significant unmet need, because we believe that we can do better for patients. JJPBio is the first company to generate clinical validation of the IgA/CD89 axis, establishing first-mover advantage in a disease area with broad implications across autoimmune conditions including IgA nephropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and celiac disease. Its immuno-oncology programme targets the CD270/HVEM checkpoint pathway in cancer. Backed by the long-term, socially responsible capital of the Starak family and the Polpharma Group, JJPBio operates with the scientific freedom and financial stability to pursue mechanisms others simply cannot. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E71
14 ago 2026
27:14
Base to Base biotech podcast 70: Taking the lead on GI motility disorders
This week, we have a conversation with Peter G. Milner, founder and director of Renexxion, about GI motility disorders. Renexxion Renexxion, Inc. is a privately held US-headquartered clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, with a subsidiary in Ireland, committed to developing new therapies for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Renexxion’s lead program is naronapride, a late-stage drug candidate being developed for multiple unmet indications in the upper and lower GI tract. Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH, a research-based pharmaceutical company specializing in digestive and metabolic medicine, and Renexxion recently announced positive results from MOVE-IT, a global phase 2b, randomised placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of naronapride in adults with gastroparesis. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E70
31 jul 2026
32:02
Base to Base biotech podcast 69: nrHSV-1 technology and environmental testing through hair
Times: 01:33 Cyllene Tx 21:37 LinusBio This week, we have conversations with LinusBio founder and Mt. Sinai environmental professor, Dr. Manish Arora, as well as with Philippe Chambon, CEO of Cyllene Therapeutics (Cyllene Tx). Cyllene Therapeutics Cyllene Therapeutics is a global leader in non-replicating HSV-1 (nrHSV-1) vector technology in neurology. It is currently executing a phase 1/2 study in the US with its lead DNA medicine candidate, EG110A, in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (neurogenic bladder)-related incontinence. This is the first human study with nrHSV vectors targeting sensory neuron-based diseases. EG110A is being developed to address multiple severe bladder diseases, including overactive bladder (OAB), and has the potential to be a major improvement over existing therapies, resulting in better care for patients and lower costs for healthcare systems. The company's HERMES platform delivers pinpoint neurotherapeutics to treat prevalent diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system. Its vectors can achieve focal transduction and then selective expression of transgenes in targeted subsets of neurons. With demonstrated clinical safety and possible repeat dosing, the large payload capacity of nrHSV-1 vectors allows for versatile DNA delivery and smarter DNA medicine. LinusBio LinusBio’s Traced, which launched this month, is the first direct-to-consumer wellness test that uses a single strand of hair to provide a day-by-day view of exposure to 15 elements—including nutrients like zinc and magnesium, as well as toxic elements such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminium—over the course of 30 days. Traced uses LinusBio's proprietary platform, combining advanced robotics, laser ablation, and mass spectrometry to identify exposure patterns over time. Traced provides consumers with a 30-day history of all measured exposures. Levels are measured relative to LinusBio's proprietary global reference database. It is not a measure of health or a diagnosis of any condition; it's meant to inform consumers and empower them to take steps to mitigate their exposure. Developed from research at Mount Sinai, Traced offers a different approach than traditional blood or urine testing by showing how exposures change over time and helping consumers connect those patterns to their daily routines, travel, homes, and environments. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E69
24 jul 2026
53:58
Base to Base biotech podcast 68: Water from air for pharma and beyond
This week, we have a conversation with Kyle Cordova, founder and CEO of AquaPoro. AquaPoro AquaPoro is a deeptech company engineering systems that can harvest water from the atmosphere based in California that was spun out of Jordan's Royal Scientific Society. Atmospheric water generators (AWGs) aren't uncommon as freshwater becomes scarcer for use in a variety of industries from food and beverages to pharmaceutical companies. AquaPoro's approach is different. Traditional AWGs require more than 60% humidity to function. AquaPoro's can function with less than 10%. Its atmospheric low-humidity moisture adsorption (ALMA) technology, based on Nobel Prize winning chemistry frameworks, extracts water from ambient air at lower energy and cost, regardless of temperature or humidity. Its process is continuous, and its modular "Stream" systems integrate directly into manufacturing facilities for more efficient output. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com
E68
17 jul 2026
27:07
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