October 10, 2019 | From the Trenches

Leave No Stone Unturned: A Pipeline Story

Building a leading gene therapy pipeline in under two years (and a lot of air miles): how to persevere and make the calls that matter.

Throughout a career in business development I’ve sat at every seat at the negotiating table, but I count my experience building AVROBIO’s leading lentiviral vector (LV) ex vivo gene therapy pipeline as perhaps my most satisfying and extraordinary time in biotech.

This blog was written by Deanna Petersen, CBO of AVROBIO (@dmp9818), as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.

October 7, 2019 | In the News

Atlas unveils RNA-editing Korro Bio helmed by Nessan Bermingham

Nearly two years ago, Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., handed the reins of Intellia Therapeutics over to John Leonard, M.D., the R&D chief who had built the company alongside him. After a break, he landed at Atlas Venture, the VC firm that helped launch Intellia in 2014 and that is now debuting Korro Bio, Bermingham’s latest project.

October 1, 2019 | In the News

With eyes on IPO, muscular dystrophy startup names new CEO

The scientific founder and CEO of Cambridge startup Dyne Therapeutics has hired a new CEO — a former CFO with experience in public stock offerings.

September 16, 2019 | From the Trenches

Early Company Evolution – People, Pipeline, and Purse

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” That’s how I feel as I reflect on the first three years of the growth of Kyn Therapeutics. So much has happened since my R&D colleague Michelle Zhang and I moved into the seed space at Atlas Venture (see photo below of our cozy abode) to begin work on Kyn. As a first-time scientifically-trained biotech CEO, I assumed it would be similar to leading a project team in pharma – after all, the company started with only one asset! Turns out it’s more complex, and there have been many twists and turns along the way. While you can change focus from day-to-day, no area can be neglected, and don’t even think about choosing the wrong wine for a Board of Directors dinner.

This blog was written by Mark Manfredi, CEO of Kyn Therapeutics, as part of the From The Trenches feature of LifeSciVC.

September 5, 2019 | In the News

Novartis bankrolls IFM Due’s cGAS/STING pipeline—with $840M buyout option

Just five months after Novartis put down $310 million for IFM Therapeutics’ inflammation-focused unit, the Big Pharma has come back for more. This time, it is teaming up with IFM Due, the subsidiary IFM created to develop treatments targeting the cGAS and STING pathways, with an exclusive buyout option worth up to $840 million.