Xtalks Life Science Podcast

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 priv...

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 rol...

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...

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 othe...

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, i...

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 t...

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 ...

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha speaks with Craig Erickson, MD, chief medical officer at Spinogenix and a leading expert in translational neurodevelopmental research.

Dr. Erickson shares insights into Spinogenix’s work on restoring synapses to reverse cognitive and motor decline in conditions like Fragile X Syndrome, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

Dr. Erickson is a Professor of Psychiatry at ...

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha speaks with Michael Thurn, PhD, Managing Director & CEO, Neurizon Therapeutics, a company focused on advancing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, with expansion efforts in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and others.

With over 25 years of experience in biotech innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership and broad experience in drug discovery...

In this episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, Ayesha speaks with Stella Sarraf, PhD, founder, CEO and director of Spinogenix, a company pioneering neurodegenerative therapeutics designed to restore synapses with the potential to reverse cognitive and motor decline in conditions such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and other neurological disorders.

Dr. Sarraf shares the scientific inspiration behind Spinogenix’s nov...

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...