Xtalks Life Science Podcast

Innovating Immune-Modulating Therapies in Autoimmune Disorders ft. Dr. Mario Marcondes, VP Head of Clinical Development, Nektar Therapeutics

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Mario Marcondes, MD, PhD, VP Head of Clinical Development at Nektar Therapeutics, a company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies for autoimmune disorders and cancer.
Dr. Marcondes is a licensed and trained physician, specializing in oncology and immune oncology. He has more than 15 years of research and teaching experience in Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)/Cellular Therapies and more than 10 years of industry experience. He was the Program Lead for early-stage assets at Nektar and manages clinical trial programs from Phase I through to Phase III.
Dr. Marcondes is a member of multiple professional clinical and translational research organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).
Listen to the episode to hear about the current research landscape in autoimmune disorders, including the work Dr. Marcondes is leading at Nektar Therapeutics.
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Advancing Digital Approaches in Alzheimer’s Research and Care ft. Sarah Averill Lott, Research Lead, Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) & Diane Stephenson, Executive Director, Critical Path for Parkinson

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Sarah Averill Lott, MPH, CPH, Research Lead at Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) and Diane Stephenson, PhD, Executive Director at the Critical Path for Parkinson (CPP) at the Critical Path Institute.
DiMe is a global non-profit and a professional home for digital medicine that aims to drive the broad adoption of digital approaches to advance medicine and public health. DiMe convened a working group to identify barriers to greater utilization of digital measures in Alzheimer's research and subsequently developed resources to help researchers and clinicians more quickly adopt digital measures in this area.
Sarah Averill Lott is a program lead at DiMe where she supports programs and resources that promote the safe, effective and equitable use of digital health technologies to advance clinical research and improve outcomes for patients. She has degrees in neuroscience and public health.
Diane Stephenson is a neuroscientist by training with 35 years combined experience in academic neuroscience and drug discovery. Dr Stephenson joined Critical Path Institute in 2011 and presently leads the Neurology programs centered around Critical Path for Parkinson’s (CPP) and Critical Path for Alzheimer’s Disease (CPAD), with the goal of accelerating drug development tools for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Stephenson received her PhD in Medical Neurobiology from Indiana University.
Tune into the episode to hear about the adoption of digital measures in Alzheimer’s research and care, including the collaboration between DiMe and the Critical Path Institute.
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Transformative Neuropsychiatric Therapies ft. Dr. Amit Etkin, Founder, President and CEO of Alto Neuroscience

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Amit Etkin, Founder, President and CEO of Alto Neuroscience, a company developing precision treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions.
Alto Neuroscience is focused on designing candidates that target core brain processes in patient populations not adequately treated by currently available medications. Alto is currently pursuing candidates in major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar depression and schizophrenia.
Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability globally. In the US alone, 1 in 5 people are living with a mental health disorder, with an estimated $280 billion spent on mental health services in the country in 2020. Despite significant need, the current standard of care consists of treatments that are ineffective for many patients.
Dr. Amit Etkin founded Alto in 2019 and is the president, CEO and serves as chair of the company’s board of directors. Prior to founding Alto, Dr. Etkin was a tenured professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, where he held multiple leading roles.
His research contributions during his tenure at Stanford led to Dr. Etkin being awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award, the most competitive and prestigious NIH grant, and the first in history to be awarded in clinical psychiatry. He also received an Entrepreneur of the Year (EY) award.
Tune into the episode to hear from Dr. Etkin about innovations in treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders at Alto Neuroscience.
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Pioneering Cancer Treatment with Alpha Radiation Technology ft. Alpha Tau Medical CMO Dr. Robert Den

In this episode, Vera spoke with Dr. Robert Den, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Alpha Tau Medical, a company developing cancer treatment with its highly potent alpha radiation technology.
Dr. Den shared his journey to becoming CMO at Alpha Tau Medical and discussed the company’s mission to bring innovative cancer therapies to patients worldwide.
Learn how Alpha Tau’s technology differs from traditional radiation therapies, the types of cancers it has shown promise in treating and the impact this novel, investigational approach could have on patient care.
With his expertise in radiation oncology and his role as an Associate Professor and Clinical Practitioner at Jefferson University, Dr. Den also provided insights into the challenges in the field and shared his vision for the future of cancer treatment.
Don’t miss this episode to hear about Alpha Tau Medical’s recent advancements and Dr. Den’s advice for aspiring leaders in the biotech and medical industries.
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Innovations in Immunomodulators for Diseases of the Immune System ft. Dr. Judy Chou, CEO, AltruBio

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Judy Chou, PhD, CEO, President and Board member of AltruBio, a company developing first-in-class immunomodulators to target diseases of the immune system.
AltruBio’s pipeline includes compounds being investigated for indications such as ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis and acute graft vs. host disease.
Prior to joining AltruBio, Dr. Chou headed the global Biotech organization at Bayer Pharmaceuticals overseeing the development, manufacturing and distribution of Bayer’s biotechnology pipeline, product portfolio & more than 2,000 employees.
Before Bayer, Dr. Chou held various leadership roles at biopharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer/Medivation, Tanvex Biopharma, Genentech, Pfizer (Wyeth) and AbbVie (Abbott).
Dr. Chou has extensive experience in biologics development with multiple filings of BLAs, NDAs and INDs of novel products. She is well recognized by the biomedical industry for her leadership and received the Most Influential Women in Business Award in 2018 by San Francisco Business Times.
Currently, Dr. Chou also serves as the Board of Directors of Akero Therapeutics, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicines (CIRM); and the Advisory Board members of UC Berkeley Engineering School and Silicon Valley Women in Engineering. Before joining the industry, Dr. Chou was a research faculty member at Harvard University Medical School.
Dr. Chou obtained her PhD from Yale University and completed her post-doctoral training at Max-Planck Institute in Germany.
Tune into the episode to learn about AltruBio’s innovative solutions targeting diseases of inflammation.
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Innovating Cell-Based Solutions for Type 1 Diabetes ft. Jonathan Rigby, CEO, Sernova

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Jonathan Rigby, MBA, CEO of Sernova, a Canadian biotech company developing innovative cell therapy-based approaches for the management of type 1 diabetes.
The company’s lead innovation is an implantable bio-hybrid organ pouch, which is currently in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial.
An estimated 537 million people are currently living with diabetes globally and this number is projected to reach 643 million by 2030, making it a pressing health issue in need of new, effective solutions.
Jonathan has held leaderships positions at several biopharmaceutical companies over his career. Prior to heading Sernova as its CEO, Jonathan served as President and CEO of Revolo Biotherapeutics where he took the company through multiple financings and two Phase II clinical trials. He also served as Chairman and Chief Business Officer of BIOS Acquisition Corporation, with an oversold IPO.
He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of cancer therapy company Oncolytics Biotech Inc. and IM Therapeutics, which is developing therapies for type 1 diabetes.
Tune into the episode to learn about Sernovo’s innovative cell-based approaches for the development of type 1 diabetes treatments.
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Immune-Based Intratumoral Cancer Therapies ft. Intensity Therapeutics founder and CEO Lewis Bender

In this episode, Ayesha had a conversation with Lewis Bender, MBA, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Intensity Therapeutics, a biotech company developing first-in-class immune-based intratumorally injected cancer therapies.
Intensity’s lead product candidate, INT230-6, is currently in human clinical studies for the treatment of refractory solid tumors, including metastatic soft tissue sarcoma and breast cancer.
Lewis Bender has almost three decades (28 years) of biopharmaceutical leadership experience and has helped take innovative new products from discovery through to product approval.
Lewis has held various leadership roles at biopharmaceutical companies including Interleukin Genetics and Emisphere Technologies. During his career, Lewis has partnered with several major pharmaceutical and biotech companies, with success raising capital from institutional investors through multiple types of transactions.
Tune into the episode, to hear more about the work Lewis is heading at Intensity Therapeutics to bring innovative, targeted intratumoral cancer therapies to patients.
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Targeting Cancer Drug Resistance with Kairos Pharma’s CEO Dr. John Yu

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with John Yu, MD, CEO of Kairos Pharma, a company advancing therapies to overcome challenges in cancer drug resistance and immune suppression.
Kairos is developing therapeutics that reverse cancer drug resistance in cancers such as prostate and lung cancer. The company’s lead candidate, ENV105, is an antibody targeting CD105, which is implicated in cancer cell resistance to various treatments. By inhibiting CD105, ENV105 seeks to restore the effectiveness of standard therapies across multiple cancer types.
Dr. Yu is also Professor and Clinical Chief of Neurosurgery, Director of the Brain Tumor Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
He has developed numerous immunotherapies and nanotechnologies from his National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded laboratory. This includes eight new investigational drugs with the US Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Yu has also led numerous clinical trials.
Dr. Yu served in leadership roles at several biotechs, including ImmunoCellular Therapeutics and most recently served as CEO and Chairman of AcTcell and Director of Enviro Therapeutics.
Dr. Yu has an MD from Harvard Medical School and MIT, and completed an Immunology Fellowship at the Institut Pasteur, Paris.
Tune into the episode, to hear more about the work Dr. Yu is leading at Kairos Pharma to address cancer drug resistance.
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Innovating Immunotherapeutics with Oncolytic Virus Therapy ft. Oncolytics Biotech’s CMO Dr. Thomas Heineman

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Thomas Heineman, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Oncolytics Biotech, a company developing an oncolytic virus cancer therapeutic that is currently in clinical trials for indications including metastatic breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Oncolytics is developing a first-in-class, nonpathogenic oncolytic virus administered intravenously that activates, recruits and trains immune cells to identify and destroy cancer cells. Simultaneously, it remodels the tumor microenvironment, improving immune cell infiltration and access.
Prior to joining Oncolytics, Dr. Heineman held leadership roles at Denovo Biopharma, Genocea Biosciences and Halozyme Therapeutics.
Dr. Heineman’s experience extends to big pharma and academia, as he previously worked as Senior Director, Global Clinical Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline and as an Associate Professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Heineman has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
To hear more about the work Dr. Heineman is leading at Oncolytics Biotech in the development of oncolytic virus therapy, tune into the episode.
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Laser Vision: Pioneering Laser Innovations for Presbyopia ft. Ace Vision’s Dr. AnneMarie Hipsley

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with AnnMarie Hipsley, DPT, PhD, CEO and founder of Ace Vision Group, an ophthalmic laser device company that is bringing touchless eye laser therapy to patients with age-related vision loss.
Dr. Hipsley is a vision scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author and speaker on ocular biomechanics and the biomechanical rejuvenation of the aging eye.
She invented an innovative touchless laser system and a laser microporation system for the treatment of presbyopia.
Presbyopia is an age-related condition in which the eye gradually loses its ability to focus on close objects due to natural aging of the lens inside the eye. It typically begins to affect individuals around the age of 40 and continues to progress until around age 65.
Dr. Hipsley is passionate about educating the health care space on the global burden of uncorrected presbyopia, particularly the socioeconomic and quality of life implications of the condition.
Over the past 25 years, she has trained more than 100 ophthalmic surgeons worldwide in using near-infrared lasers for tissue microporation.
Tune into the episode to hear more about Dr. Hipsley and Ace Vision Group’s innovative solutions for presbyopia.
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