Xtalks Life Science Podcast

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha Rashid speaks with Laura Williams, MD, MPH, chief patient officer at Ardelyx, a company developing and commercializing first-in-class medicines for diseases like chronic kidney disease (CKD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Dr. Williams brings nearly 30 years of experience in clinical development, drug strategy and patient advocacy. With leadership roles across big pharm...

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Vera Kovacevic speaks with Gene Mack, CEO and President of Gain Therapeutics, a company focused on AI-driven small molecule discovery for diseases with high unmet medical needs.

With over 25 years of leadership across biopharma, capital markets and corporate strategy, Gene shares his unique perspective on the intersection of artificial intelligence and drug development — and how G...

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid speaks with Edwin Tucker, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Jasper Therapeutics, about innovative approaches to treating chronic mast cell diseases such as asthma, food allergies and IBS.

Dr. Tucker has over 30 years of clinical drug development experience, with past roles as CMO at Goldfinch Bio and Mirum Pharmaceuticals, where he led the first FDA approv...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Adam Grant, PhD, Principal Scientist at CancerVax, to discuss the company’s Universal Cancer Treatment Platform.

The immunotherapy tool uses AI to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells by modifying those cells to resemble known pathogens like measles. This innovative approach prompts a stronger and more effective immune response compared to traditional immunotherapies.

Dr...

In this episode, Vera spoke with Dr. Alessandra Maleddu, a medical oncologist and sarcoma specialist at the University of Colorado. Dr. Maleddu specializes in soft tissue and bone sarcomas, with a particular focus on desmoid tumors and advancing clinical trials in this rare disease area.

Desmoid tumors are locally invasive soft tissue tumors that present unique diagnostic and treatment challenges, as they can vary significantly fro...

In this episode, Vera spoke with Jay Hartenbach, President and Chief Operating Officer of Diakonos Oncology, a company developing cancer immunotherapies to address the critical and unmet medical need of late-stage and aggressive cancers like glioblastoma.

Jay is a passionate advocate for wellness and innovative healthcare, bringing a unique blend of scientific knowledge, entrepreneurial enthusiasm and business strategy expertise to...

In this episode, Vera spoke with Chris Ehrlich, CEO at CERo Therapeutics, a company developing next-generation T cell immunotherapies, called chimeric engulfment receptor T cells (CER T).

Chris has extensive experience in biotechnology, venture capital and strategic transactions, currently serving as CEO and Chairman of the board since February 2024 and previously as CEO of PBAX.

He has held leadership roles at Locust Walk Partners...

In this episode, Ayesha speaks with Ebrahim S. Delpassand, MD, Founder and CEO of RadioMedix, a company developing innovative radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis, monitoring and treatment.

With a focus on both PET imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals labeled with alpha and beta emitters, RadioMedix is helping to shape the future of precision oncology.

Dr. Delpassand brings a wealth of expertise as a board-certified nu...

In this episode, Ayesha speaks with Norman Putzki, MD, Senior Vice President and Global Development Head of Neuroscience and Gene Therapy at Novartis, about the complexities and real-world challenges of bringing new therapies to patients with neurological diseases.

Dr. Putzki discusses the challenges and opportunities in developing treatments for complex brain disorders, and how gene therapy is being applied in neurological disease...

In this episode, Ayesha speaks with Sumita Bhatta, MD, Vice President and Global Development Therapeutic Head of Rare Disease at Amgen.

In the conversation, Dr. Bhatta shares insights on how large pharmaceutical companies like Amgen are approaching innovation and patient-centricity in the rare disease space.

She also discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in developing therapies for small patient populations and how cros...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Paul Romness, MHP, chair and CEO of OS Therapies, a company developing novel immunotherapies for cancers like osteosarcoma and other solid tumors.

Paul shares insights into OS Therapies’ lead program, the scientific rationale behind the company’s innovative immunotherapy approach and how the company is addressing unmet needs in osteosarcoma.

Paul has over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceu...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Dr. Shaharyar Khan, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Rivus Pharmaceuticals.

Rivus is developing a new class of investigational medicines called controlled metabolic accelerators (CMAs) for cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, heart failure and MASH by targeting obesity.

Dr. Khan is an expert in the field of mitochondrial biology and the development of mitochondrial ther...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Marc Hedrick, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Plus Therapeutics, a company focused on developing a novel class of targeted radiotherapeutics.

Prior to heading Plus Therapeutics, Dr. Hedrick served in a number of executive leadership roles including president, CEO and director at Cytori Therapeutics, and president and CEO of StemSource. 

Dr. Hedrick is a trained general, vascular and plastic surgeon....

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Carlos Martin, MBA, chief commercial operations and revenue officer at Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a company developing gene therapy cures for rare diseases through innovative science and platforms.

Carlos joined Rocket in April 2021 and established the company’s early commercial strategy and infrastructure as Chief Commercial Officer.

Prior to joining Rocket, Carlos was the US Commercial Head of Adva...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Marshall Fordyce, MD, founder and CEO of Vera Therapeutics, a company focused on developing treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Fordyce founded Vera in 2016 as an entrepreneur in residence at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, took the company public in 2021 and has advanced its lead molecule through a successful Phase II trial in IgA nephropathy.

The company is on track to read out its Phase...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Shalabh Gupta, MD, founder, chairman and CEO of Unicycive Therapeutics, a company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in renal diseases.

Kidney diseases are a major global health concern. In the US, chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than one in seven individuals, and one in three adults with diabetes may have the condition.

Before founding Unicycive Therapeutics in 2016, Dr. Gupta se...

Join us as we celebrate a major milestone — the 200th episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast! From groundbreaking biotech innovations to exclusive interviews with life science industry innovators and leaders, we've covered it all. Thank you for tuning in each week! We look forward to continuing to bring the latest and greatest across the pharma, biotech and medical industries!

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Arun Swaminathan...

In this episode, Vera spoke with Ann Beliën, PhD, founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Biomed, a biotech company leveraging AI-driven platforms to develop therapies for age-related diseases and promote healthy aging.

Rejuvenate Biomed is aiming to transform the treatment landscape for diseases such as sarcopenia, neuromuscular, metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Beliën founded Rejuvenate Biomed in 2017 and under her leadership...

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with Anthea Cherednichenko, MPH, MBA, Vice President, Hematology Franchise Head, Takeda, who discussed driving innovation in rare diseases through collaborations focused on better serving patients and their communities.

Anthea has more than a decade of global experience serving the rare disease community, particularly those with blood and bleeding disorders, at Takeda. She is a global healthcare leader...