Xtalks Life Science Podcast

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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Bringing the Tech Revolution to Medicine with Digital Therapeutics ft. Click Therapeutics’ CMO Dr. Shaheen Lakhan

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, Click Therapeutics, a company focused on developing software as prescription medical treatments for people with unmet medical needs.
Click Therapeutics is specifically developing Digital Therapeutics, which involve the delivery of prescription treatments to patient’s smartphones. These are being developed for indications in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, immunology and cardiometabolic diseases.
In collaboration with Otsuka, Click Therapeutics most recently developed the first prescription digital therapeutic authorized by the FDA for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder symptoms.
Dr. Lakhan, is an inventive entrepreneurial physician-scientist who is board-certified in neurology and pain medicine with over 20 years of industry experience. As Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Click Therapeutics and a Board Director at SpineThera, he spearheads AI-enabled clinical development and drug-delivery platforms.
Tune in to the episode to hear more the cutting-edge new field of digital therapeutics and how they are shaping the industry.
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Inside the Latest Advances in Hearing Tech ft. Envoy Medical CEO Brent Lucas

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical.
Envoy Medical is a medical device company focused on providing cutting-edge technologies across the hearing loss spectrum.
According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 13 percent of people in the US 12 years of age and older have hearing loss in both ears, underscoring the importance of developing solutions to help this population.
Brent Lucas has been the CEO of Envoy Medical Corporation for the last seven years. Brent is a lawyer by training and as a Medical Devices Executive, he has extensive experience leading across enterprise functions. He has over 15 years of experience in active implantables in the hearing health industry. Brent has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of St. Thomas and JD from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Tune into the episode to hear more about the innovative hearing solutions Envoy Medical currently offers and some of the ones under development. Also hear more about hearing health, including guidance on how to protect hearing, where the industry may be headed in the next few years, as well as the Hearing Device Coverage Clarification Act and where it currently stands.
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Advances in Heart Failure Treatment ft. Dr. Robert Perkins, VP, US Medical Affairs/Renal, Bayer

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Robert Perkins, MD, Vice President, US Medical Affairs/Renal and Cardiovascular at Bayer who spoke about recent advancements in the heart failure (HF) treatment landscape.
This includes new Phase III trial data for Kerendia (finerenone) in patients with heart failure that was presented recently at this year’s European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2024.
At Bayer, Dr. Perkins leads a team of medical directors and field team members working to advance the care of patients with kidney disease and heart failure. Dr. Perkins has also led the development and implementation of innovative digital educational outreach campaigns for primary care physicians. Prior to joining Bayer, Dr. Perkins held leadership roles with Novartis and AstraZeneca. He obtained an MD at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, a Masters of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Harvard University.
Tune into the episode to hear more about the latest trial data for finerenone in heart failure and the landscape of heart failure research.
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Transforming Clinical Research: A Conversation with Morgan Hanger, Executive Director of CTTI

In this episode, Vera spoke with Morgan Hanger, Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI). CTTI is a public-private partnership dedicated to improving the quality and efficiency of clinical trials, aiming to transform the industry by 2030.
Hanger shares her career journey, from her roles at PatientsLikeMe and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to leading CTTI. She explains how her patient-centered focus has shaped CTTI’s approach to its Transforming Trials 2030 initiative.
Hanger addresses the major challenges in clinical trials today, including regulatory complexities and the need for better data transparency. She explains how CTTI is tackling these issues through collaboration and innovative trial designs, like decentralized and adaptive trials, which aim to improve efficiency and inclusivity.
Hanger encourages new clinical trial professionals to embrace innovation and stay patient-focused. She hopes her work at CTTI will influence the development of a clinical trial system that is more efficient, inclusive and better aligned with patient needs.
Tune in to learn how CTTI is leading efforts to reshape clinical trials.
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Innovative Approaches to Antiviral Drug Development

In this episode, Vera spoke with Dr. Sam Lee, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President of Cocrystal Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on antiviral drug development with a unique structure-based drug discovery platform.
With over 25 years of experience in anti-infective drug discovery, Dr. Lee brings a wealth of knowledge to the discussion on the urgent need for innovative antiviral therapies.
The conversation begins with Dr. Lee sharing insights on the mission of Cocrystal Pharma, which leverages Nobel Prize-winning expertise in the development of antiviral drugs.
Vera and Dr. Lee then discuss the recent emergence of a new strain of Avian flu, examining the potential risks and the current state of flu vaccines in providing protection against both seasonal and pandemic strains.
Dr. Lee delves into the challenges of pandemic preparedness and explains how broad-spectrum antivirals could offer a valuable tool in combating influenza outbreaks. He provides an overview of Cocrystal Pharma’s approach, particularly their focus on targeting viral replication proteins, which sets their platform apart from traditional antiviral discovery methods.
The discussion also covers the limitations of current antiviral treatments and highlights the unmet medical needs in influenza care.
As the conversation wraps up, Dr. Lee discusses his excitement for the future of antiviral drug development.
Tune in to gain an understanding of the evolving landscape of antiviral research and the cutting-edge innovations that could redefine treatment options for viral infections.
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