April 16, 2018 | From the Trenches

Little by Little: Real Life Lessons In Business Development

Experience can be a tough teacher. Over the last two decades as a biotech investment banker, investor, pharma business development executive, and now company entrepreneur I’ve built up my fair share of deal-related scar tissue. However, for my first LifeSciVC post today, I’ll share three key lessons that I was lucky enough to learn in a completely pain-free fashion. Plus, I’ll provide some thoughts on how you too can accelerate your learning in a way that doesn’t leave visible marks.

This blog was written by Tariq Kassum, COO and Head of Corporate Development at Obsidian Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.

April 12, 2018 | Press Release

Atlas Venture, F-Prime Capital Partners and SV Health Investors to Host Symposium Featuring Therapeutics Startup Ideas From World’s Top Academic Research Institutions

Boston-area venture capital firms Atlas Venture, F-Prime Capital Partners and SV Health Investors have partnered to create Science 2 Startup, an invitation-only symposium aimed at strengthening connections between biotech investors and therapeutics researchers at the world’s top academic research institutions. Science 2 Startup will take place on April 24, 2018, in Cambridge at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

April 12, 2018 | From the Trenches

Life After ECHO-301: Lessons Learned About Modulating IDO/TDO To Treat Cancer

Last week we learned about the failure of the much anticipated ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 trial that studied the IDO inhibitor epacadostat in combination with pembrolizumab in advanced melanoma. The results were a surprise to some, anticipated by others, and either way a bad outcome for IDO1 inhibitors, Incyte, and others heavily invested in IDO inhibition as a therapeutic approach. More significantly, it was a disappointment for cancer patients and their families looking for the next generation of immunotherapies to improve patient outcomes.

This blog was written by Mark Manfredi, CEO of Kyn Therapeutics and former Atlas Entrepreneur-in-Residence, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.

April 5, 2018 | LifeSciVC

Caravans of Biotech Immigrant Executives

By Bruce Booth, DPhil, Partner

Recently there’s been talk of a caravan of immigrants marching towards the United States, principally focused on Mexico and Central America. But there’s also another caravan, this one at work in the biopharma business: the long term migration of science and technology professionals into the US-based biopharma ecosystem.

March 23, 2018 | LifeSciVC

Two Really Big Fish That Got Away

By Bruce Booth, DPhil, Partner

Like all avid fly fishermen, I can recount many stories about the big ones that got away. The same goes for my experience in venture capital… as I’ve certainly missed some big ones.