Xtalks Life Science Podcast

In this week’s episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, Senior Life Science Journalist at Xtalks.com, spoke with R. Nolan Townsend, MBA, CEO of Lexeo Therapeutics, a company developing gene therapies for cardiovascular diseases as well as CNS disorders including Alzheimer’s disease.
Lexeo recently announced a partnership to advance cardiac RNA therapeutics as well as $80 million in equity financing.
Mr. Townsend has been CEO of Lexeo Therapeutics since 2020. He previously held senior leadership roles at Pfizer, including President of Rare Disease for both North America and International markets, and began his career in healthcare investment banking at Lehman Brothers. He currently also serves on several boards, including Arbor Biotechnologies, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. He is also a member of the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Life Sciences Advisory Council.
Mr. Townsend received his MBA from the Harvard Business School and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Tune in to hear how Lexeo is shaping the future of genetic medicines under Mr. Townsend’s leadership.
For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/
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In this week’s episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, Senior Life Science Journalist at Xtalks.com, spoke with Juan Domínguez-Bendala, PhD, Director of Stem Cell and Pancreatic Regeneration Programs, Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami, to discuss his research team’s new research published in Nature Communications that could redefine diabetes treatment.
Dr. Domínguez-Bendala team’s study reveals how THR-123, a small peptide, can trigger the regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, effectively restoring normal blood sugar levels in preclinical models. The discovery opens the door to a potential new class of regenerative therapies for insulin-dependent diabetes, offering hope for millions of patients worldwide.
Dr. Domínguez-Bendala’s scientific journey includes a PhD he earned under Dr. Jim McWhir, co-creator of Dolly the sheep, to pioneering research in human embryonic stem cells at the University of Miami’s Diabetes Research Institute, where he now leads his own lab and chairs the university’s Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (ESCRO) Committee.
Tune in to hear how Dr. Domínguez-Bendala’s team’s findings could change the way we think about diabetes and the promise of teaching the pancreas to heal itself.
For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/
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In this week’s episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, Senior Life Science Journalist at Xtalks.com, sits down with Paul Wotton, PhD, CEO of RBL LLC, a venture studio partially owned by Rice University.
RBL’s mission is to transform groundbreaking research from the Rice Biotech LaunchPad into successful biotech startups. The company provides end-to-end support for early-stage ventures, from financial and business development services to clinical trial design, talent acquisition and capital sourcing.
Dr. Wotton shares insights from his extensive leadership and entrepreneurship career, including his time as president and CEO of Ocata Therapeutics (acquired by Astellas), and discusses how RBL is bridging academia and industry to accelerate biotech innovation.
Dr. Wotton has expertise in strategic growth, business transactions and product development, and has served on the boards of Vericel, Cynata Therapeutics, Kytopen, Combined Therapeutics and co-founded Avenge Bio. He has been recognized as a “Top 100 Innovation CEO” by World Biz Magazine and won Ernst & Young’s NJ Life Sciences Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014.
Tune in to learn how venture studio models like RBL are reshaping biotech commercialization and empowering the next generation of life science entrepreneurs.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Senior Life Science Journalist Ayesha Rashid speaks with Joel Latham, CEO, president and director of Incannex Healthcare, to discuss how the company is advancing cannabinoid and psychedelic therapies for chronic conditions like sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis and anxiety disorders.
Joel has more than 20 years of senior management and operations experience in both public and private sectors. Under Joel’s leadership, Incannex has advanced and prioritized multiple therapeutic candidates into clinical-stage development. Previously, he was the CEO and Managing Director of Incannex Australia, where he played a key role in the company’s growth and its successful transition to Nasdaq.
Joel has also held senior leadership roles in corporate strategy and global market development at Mars Foods, Tabcorp and Philip Morris International.
Listen now to learn about the cutting-edge developments in cannabinoid and psychedelic medicine.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, speaks with Jeff Glazier, CEO and founding member of General Oncology. General Oncology is focused on advancing innovative therapies that address some of the greatest unmet needs in oncology.
At General Oncology, Jeff has overseen everything from corporate strategy and clinical trial site selection to IP protection and IT infrastructure. He stepped into the role of CEO in August 2024, bringing a vision for translating cutting-edge science into meaningful treatments for patients.
Previously, Jeff co-founded the healthcare technology company ProviderTech LLC and worked as a private equity attorney at Ropes & Gray LLP.
Jeff has a JD from Harvard Law School and an Sc.B. in neuroscience from Brown University.
Tune into the episode to hear Jeff’s perspectives on leadership, innovation and shaping the future of oncology.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, we dive into the cutting edge of cell therapy innovation with Ian Nisbet, PhD, chief operating officer (COO) and co-founder of Cartherics, an Australian biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases like cancer and endometriosis.
Dr. Nisbet also acts as a director or advisor to several Australian and US biotechnology companies. With more than 35 years of leadership in biotech and experience in bringing two FDA-approved oncology drugs to market, Dr. Nisbet offers valuable insights into how the next generation of cell therapies could transform patient care.
Tune in to learn about Cartherics’ proprietary platform for generating an effectively unlimited supply of CAR-NK cells, the challenges and opportunities in developing treatments for underserved diseases and what’s next for the cell therapy industry worldwide.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Vera Kovacevic speaks with Rohan Palekar, CEO of 89bio, about one of the fastest-growing public health challenges: metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), also known as fatty liver disease.
MASH is projected to affect more than 27 million Americans by 2030, yet it remains a largely “silent” epidemic.
Palekar discusses what sets MASH apart from other liver diseases, the urgent need for therapies that can rapidly reverse fibrosis in advanced patients and the unique challenges drug developers face in addressing this condition.
The conversation explores the drivers behind the sharp rise in MASH prevalence and what may define the future therapeutic landscape.
Palekar also reflects on his leadership journey at 89bio and shares what’s next for the company as it advances new therapies for MASH and beyond.
Tune in to learn how 89bio is working to transform care for patients living with MASH and why this disease represents one of the most important — yet underrecognized — health challenges of the decade.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Senior Life Science Journalist Ayesha Rashid connects with Bill Andriopoulos, PhD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Galderma US, to discuss the future of patient-centered dermatology across both medical and aesthetic care. Galderma is focused on advancing science-based innovations in the dermatology space.
Together, they discuss Galderma’s approach to responsible innovation, improving access and representation in research, and what it takes to advance care for every skin story.
Dr. Andriopoulos explains how medical affairs drives scientific evidence and cross-functional education within dermatology, and how the integration of therapeutic and aesthetic dermatology is evolving at Galderma.
Dr. Andriopoulos joined Galderma nearly a decade ago in Canada and later served in Sweden as Global Head of Medical Affairs, Aesthetics. Since 2021, he has been leading medical affairs in the US, overseeing teams that generate evidence and educational resources aligned with Galderma’s motto of “advancing dermatology for every skin story.”
Tune in to learn about the role of medical affairs in driving evidence and education, the use of real-world data in shaping dermatology practice and the integration of therapeutic and aesthetic approaches in dermatology.
For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Senior Life Science Journalist Ayesha Rashid speaks with Dr. Roger Cone, PhD, founder of Courage Therapeutics, professor at the University of Michigan, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a leading authority on the neuroscience of weight regulation.
Dr. Cone shares insights from over 30 years of groundbreaking research on the brain’s melanocortin system, discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of obesity and restrictive eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and cachexia.
Dr. Cone’s discoveries of the melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R and MC4R) have helped shape our understanding of obesity and eating disorders.
Backed by a $7.8 million seed investment, Courage Therapeutics is developing innovative therapies targeting the brain’s appetite-regulating circuits that aim to complement GLP-1 treatments.
Tune in to learn how Dr. Cone’s work is shaping the next generation of brain-targeted therapeutics for obesity and restrictive eating disorders.
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In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid speaks with Rob Armstrong, PhD, CEO of Artax Biopharma, a company pioneering a novel class of oral small molecule drugs known as Nck modulators to treat autoimmune diseases. Unlike traditional therapies that suppress the immune system, Artax’s approach aims to restore immune balance by modulating T cell receptor signaling.
Dr. Armstrong shares insights into the company’s recent clinical progress, including positive Phase IIa results in psoriasis and promising preclinical data in atopic dermatitis, and what these milestones mean for the broader autoimmune treatment landscape.
With more than 20 years of leadership in biopharmaceutical R&D, Dr. Armstrong previously served as CEO, board member and co-founder of Boston Pharmaceuticals, led small molecule R&D at Amgen and held senior executive roles at Eli Lilly, including Vice President of Global Medicinal Chemistry. Dr. Armstrong was Chairman of the Board of Artax Biopharma until January 2024, when he was appointed as the company’s CEO.
Prior to working in industry, Dr. Armstrong was a tenured Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Dr. Armstrong received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in chemistry at University of California San Diego (UCSD), PhD in chemistry at California State University (CSU) and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard. Rob is an advisor to Gelesis and serves on the board of directors of early-stage biotechnology companies Curza Therapeutics, Cloud Pharmaceuticals and Entrega Bio.
Tune into the episode to hear Dr. Armstrong discuss the promise of Nck modulators and breakthroughs in autoimmune therapies.
For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/
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