Home
Podcasts
Biotech Business with Fexingo: Life Sciences Startups, Drug Discovery, and FDA Approvals
Biotech Business with Fexingo: Life Sciences Startups, Drug Discovery, and FDA Approvals
Lucas and Luna explore the world of biotechnology startups, dissecting the science, business models, and regulatory paths of companies from Moderna to CRISPR spinouts. They analyze clinical trial phases, patent cliffs, and burn rates while focusing on the human stories behind drug discovery. The podcast aims to help listeners understand biotech 10-Ks, Phase II readouts, and distinguish genuine breakthroughs from stock promotions.
Episodes
How Biotech Startups Use AI to Design Clinical Trials
Episode 165 of Biotech Business with Fexingo digs into a quiet revolution: AI-driven clinical trial design. Lucas and Luna break down how startups are using machine learning to pick the right patients, predict trial outcomes, and cut years off drug development. They walk through a recent example where an AI-designed trial for a rare oncology drug hit its endpoint in half the expected time, and dis
How Biotech Startups Use Base Editing for Precision Medicine
In episode 164 of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging base editing, a precise gene-editing technique that swaps single DNA letters without cutting the double helix. They trace the journey from lab discovery to clinical application, focusing on a specific startup that has moved into human trials. The hosts break down the science in plain English
How Biotech Startups Are Using Cryo-Electron Microscopy
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore the growing use of cryo-electron microscopy in biotech startups, focusing on how this Nobel-winning technology has become a practical tool for drug discovery. They begin with a 2025 study where researchers captured the structure of a key cancer protein at near-atomic resolution, a feat unthinkable a decade ago. Lucas explains the shift fr
How Biotech Startups Use Spatial Transcriptomics
This episode of Biotech Business explores how startups are using spatial transcriptomics to map gene activity directly inside tissue, revealing the cellular geography of disease. Lucas and Luna break down the technology — from imaging-based methods like MERFISH to sequencing-based platforms — and discuss how it's reshaping drug discovery, from identifying novel targets to stratifying patients for
How Biotech Startups Use CRISPR Screens to Find New Drug Targets
In episode 161, Lucas and Luna dive into the world of CRISPR screens — a high-throughput method that lets biotech startups knock out thousands of genes at once to uncover which ones drive disease. They break down the difference between pooled and arrayed screens, walk through a real-world example from a startup hunting for combination therapies in ovarian cancer, and discuss the surprising finding
How Biotech Startups Use Patient Registries
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the world of patient registries — organized systems that collect real-world data from patients with specific conditions. They explore how startups are leveraging these registries to accelerate drug development, improve trial design, and even support regulatory approvals. Using the example of a rare disease registry, they br
How Biotech Startups Use AI to Repurpose Existing Drugs
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of AI-powered drug repurposing. They discuss how startups like Healx and Recursion are using machine learning to find new uses for existing drugs, dramatically cutting the time and cost of bringing treatments to patients. The conversation centers on a recent success story: a repurposed drug for a rare genetic disorder t
How Biotech Startups Use Liquid Biopsies to Find Cancer Early
Liquid biopsies are quietly transforming how we detect and monitor cancer — and biotech startups are at the center of it. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the science and the business. They trace how a simple blood draw can catch tumor DNA months before symptoms appear, then follow a specific startup that's using methylation patterns to spot multiple cancer types at once. They break down w
How Biotech Startups Are Using Digital Twins
Digital twins — virtual replicas of physical systems — are moving from manufacturing and aerospace into biotech. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how startups are building digital twins of clinical trials, manufacturing lines, and even individual patients to cut costs and speed up development. They look at how a mid-stage biotech company used a digital twin of a Phase 3 trial to simulate di
How Biotech Startups Use Antibody-Drug Conjugates
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, to target cancer cells with precision. They break down the science behind ADCs, the business case for startups entering this space, and the challenges of manufacturing and safety. With real examples from the industry, they discuss why ADCs are becoming a h
How Biotech Startups Are Using In Vivo Gene Editing
In episode 155, Lucas and Luna explore the shift from ex vivo to in vivo gene editing, a frontier that could make one-time genetic therapies accessible beyond rare diseases. They break down the science behind lipid nanoparticle and viral vector delivery, the challenge of targeting the right cells, and the recent momentum signaled by FDA guidance. The conversation zooms in on a notable 2025 clinica
How Biotech Startups Use Organoids for Drug Testing
Organoids are miniature, lab-grown organs that mimic real human biology, and startups are using them to test drugs before they ever reach a human. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how these tiny 3D cultures are changing the game for disease modeling and drug screening. They discuss the scientific breakthroughs that make organoids possible, the challenges of making them reproducible at scale
How Biotech Startups Use Mass Spectrometry Imaging
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are using mass spectrometry imaging to map drugs and metabolites directly inside tissue samples. They discuss the technology's shift from academic proteomics to pharmaceutical R&D, citing a recent startup that used it to identify why a promising oncology candidate failed in phase two, saving years of development. The
How Biotech Startups Use Phage Display for Targeted Therapies
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging phage display to engineer antibodies and peptides for targeted therapies. They discuss the technology's origins, its role in drug discovery, and a recent case involving a startup that used phage display to create a bispecific antibody for cancer treatment. The hosts also touch on the challenges of scali
How Biotech Startups Use DNA Origami for Drug Delivery
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore a cutting-edge approach to drug delivery: DNA origami. They discuss how biotech startups are folding DNA strands into nanoscale structures to deliver therapies with unprecedented precision. The conversation centers on a recent proof-of-concept study where DNA origami boxes delivered a chemotherapy drug directly to cancer cells, reducing s
Biotech Startups Turn to Organ Chips for Drug Testing
In this milestone 150th episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are using organ-on-a-chip technology to test drugs before human trials. Centered on a concrete example — a startup using a lung-on-a-chip to model inflammation and test a candidate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — the conversation digs into the engineering, the regulatory shift
How Biotech Startups Use Nanopore Sequencing for Real-Time Genomics
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how nanopore sequencing is giving biotech startups a real-time window into genomics. They dive into the technology's ability to read long DNA fragments on the fly, making it possible to detect pathogens, monitor outbreaks, and even sequence genomes in the field. The conversation centers on a specific application: using portab
How Biotech Startups Use AlphaFold for Drug Discovery
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging AlphaFold, DeepMind's protein structure prediction AI, to accelerate drug discovery. They discuss the technology's evolution from a research curiosity to a practical tool, its role in tackling previously 'undruggable' targets, and the limitations that still require experimental validation.
How Biotech Startups Use PROTACs to Drug the Undruggable
Most disease-causing proteins have no obvious binding pocket, which is why roughly 80 percent of the human proteome has been considered 'undruggable' with traditional small molecules. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are tackling that problem with PROTACs — molecules that hijack the cell's own protein-disposal system to degrade targets rather than inhibit them. They tra
How Biotech Startups Reuse Orphan Drugs for Rare Diseases
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are repurposing existing orphan drugs to treat rare diseases—a strategy that cuts development time and cost. They dive into the case of a small startup that took an approved therapy for a metabolic disorder and repositioned it for a rare neurological condition, leveraging FDA's orphan drug incentives. The
How Biotech Startups Use Synthetic Lethality Screens
In episode 145 of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging synthetic lethality screens to uncover new cancer drug targets. They anchor the discussion on the recent approval of a PARP inhibitor for pancreatic cancer, a milestone that validates the approach beyond BRCA-mutated tumors. The hosts walk through the science — how a mutation in one gene can be exploited
How Biotech Startups Use Single-Cell Sequencing
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna drill into single-cell RNA sequencing — the technology that lets researchers see gene expression in individual cells, not just tissue averages. They trace how a 2009 paper by a then-unknown Swedish scientist kicked off a field that now drives drug target discovery, patient stratification, and clinical trial design. Lucas explains the
Why Biotech Startups Are Turning to Proximity Labeling for Drug Discovery
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how proximity labeling is becoming a go-to technique for biotech startups mapping protein interactions and finding new drug targets. They focus on the case of Turquoise Bio, a startup using the APEX2 enzyme to tag proteins in live cells in minutes—a method that captures transient interactions that older techniques miss. The hosts break do
How Biotech Startups Use AI to Design Better Clinical Trials
Episode 142 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into the quiet revolution in clinical trial design. Lucas and Luna explore how startups are using AI to simulate trial outcomes, optimize patient selection, and cut development timelines. They break down the story of a mid-stage oncology trial that used AI to reduce patient numbers by thirty percent without losing statistical power, and discuss th
How Biotech Startups Use Base Editing for Genetic Therapies
CRISPR made gene editing famous, but its blunt cuts carry risks. Base editing changes a single DNA letter without breaking the helix—a precision tool that startups like Beam Therapeutics and Verve Therapeutics are betting on for sickle cell disease and heart disease. This episode explains how base editing works, why it matters for patients, and the business challenges of turning a one-time edit in
How Biotech Startups Use Cryo-EM to Design Better Drugs
Cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, has transformed structural biology since winning the Nobel Prize in 2017. Once limited to academic labs with massive budgets, the technology is now within reach of biotech startups, enabling them to visualize proteins at atomic resolution and design drugs with unprecedented precision. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how one startup reduced a two-year t
How Real-World Evidence Is Changing Biotech Drug Approvals
This episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo explores how biotech startups are leveraging real-world evidence (RWE) to accelerate FDA approvals, especially for rare diseases. Lucas and Luna discuss the FDA's latest guidance on RWE, the types of data used (electronic health records, wearables, patient registries), and the advantages over traditional randomized controlled trials. They examine a cas
How Biotech Startups Are Engineering Antibodies to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has long been the bane of CNS drug development, blocking over 98% of small molecules and virtually all large biologics. But in 2026, that wall is finally cracking. This episode examines how biotech startups like Denali Therapeutics are hijacking the brain's own transport systems—specifically the transferrin receptor—to shuttle antibodies and enzymes across the BBB. We
How Biotech Startups Use Exosomes for Drug Delivery
Exosomes, tiny vesicles that cells naturally secrete, are becoming a powerful drug delivery vehicle for biotech startups. This episode explores how companies like Evox Therapeutics and Codiak BioSciences are engineering exosomes to deliver RNA therapies, proteins, and small molecules to tissues that were previously hard to reach. We break down the science, the manufacturing challenges, and why big
Biotech Startups Target the Gut-Brain Axis for Depression
Episode 136 of Biotech Business explores how biotech startup Mendel Biotech is developing a live biotherapeutic for major depressive disorder. With promising Phase 2 data showing a 4-point reduction on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, we break down the gut-brain axis science, the challenges of manufacturing live bacterial therapies, and the regulatory path for FDA approval. We also discuss th
How Biotech Startups Use Lipid Nanoparticles Beyond the Liver
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are engineering lipid nanoparticles to deliver gene therapies to organs beyond the liver—the traditional target for these delivery vehicles. They spotlight ReCode Therapeutics and its lung-targeting LNP platform, discuss the chemistry innovations that make tissue-specific delivery possible, and examine the clinical and manufacturing chal
How Directed Evolution Helps Biotech Startups Engineer Better Enzymes
This episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo explores how biotech startups use directed evolution, the Nobel-winning technique, to engineer custom enzymes for drug manufacturing and therapeutics. Lucas and Luna break down the story of Codexis, which evolved an enzyme that slashed waste in the production of the blockbuster diabetes drug Januvia (sitagliptin) by 80 percent. They discuss how directe
How Biotech Startups Engineer Probiotics to Deliver Drugs
In June 2026, the FDA approved the first engineered live biotherapeutic product for a rare metabolic disorder, signaling a new era for programmable medicines. This episode explores how startups are engineering probiotics to sense disease and release therapies directly in the gut. Lucas and Luna discuss the science behind these living drugs—how bacteria are reprogrammed with genetic circuits to pro
How Biotech Startups Use DNAEncoded Libraries for Drug Discovery
Lucas and Luna explore how DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) are transforming drug discovery, allowing startups to screen billions of compounds in a single test tube. They break down the technology behind DELs—how DNA barcodes encode each compound's structure and how sequencing reveals the hits. The conversation covers advantages over traditional high-throughput screening, common pitfalls like false po
How Biotech Startups Use CRISPR Diagnostics
Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of CRISPR-based diagnostics, where startups like Sherlock Biosciences and Mammoth Biosciences are turning gene-editing enzymes into rapid, portable tests for infectious diseases and beyond. They break down how Cas12 and Cas13 enzymes detect specific DNA or RNA sequences, creating signals that can be read on a simple lateral flow strip — similar to a pregna
How Biotech Startups Use Liquid Biopsies for Early Cancer Detection
Lucas and Luna dive into the rapidly evolving world of liquid biopsies—blood tests that detect cancer DNA fragments. They explore a landmark 2025 study from the PATHFINDER 2 trial, which screened over 6,600 adults and found early-stage signals in 1.4% of participants, with a positive predictive value above 40%. The hosts discuss how startups like Guardant Health and Grail are pushing the technolog
How Biotech Startups Use Automated Patch Clamp for Drug Discovery
Lucas and Luna explore how automated patch clamp (APC) technology is transforming ion channel drug discovery. They discuss the shift from manual to automated electrophysiology, the role of companies like Sophion and Nanion, and how startups are using APC to screen for cardiac safety and develop new pain therapeutics. The episode dives into the numbers: how APC has reduced screening time from month
How Biotech Startups Use Lysosomal Targeting for Drug Delivery
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging lysosomal targeting to deliver drugs precisely where they're needed inside cells. They focus on the case of Lysogene, a French biotech that used a lysosomal enzyme replacement therapy to treat a rare neurological disorder called Sanfilippo syndrome type A. The hosts break down the science b
Why Biotech Startups Are Betting on RNA Editing
Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of RNA editing as a therapeutic platform. They break down how startups like Ascidian Therapeutics and Wave Life Sciences are using RNA editing to correct disease-causing mutations without permanently altering the genome. The episode dives into the key distinction between RNA editing and CRISPR gene editing: reversibility and safety. Lucas explains the two
How Biotech Startups Use Proteomics to Find New Drug Targets
Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of proteomics in drug discovery, focusing on how biotech startups are using mass spectrometry and AI to measure thousands of proteins simultaneously. They discuss the case of Seer, a company that raised over $150 million to commercialize its proteograph platform, and compare it to the older approach of affinity-based proteomics. The hosts explain why measu
How Biotech Startups Use Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras for Drug Discovery
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of PROTACs—proteolysis targeting chimeras—as a new modality for drug discovery. They focus on how startups like Arvinas and Kymera Therapeutics are leveraging this technology to degrade disease-causing proteins rather than inhibiting them. The hosts discuss the mechanism of action, key clinical milestones,
How Biotech Startups Use Organoids to Model Disease
Episode 124 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into organoids — miniature, lab-grown organs derived from stem cells that are transforming drug discovery and disease modeling. Lucas and Luna discuss how startups like Emulate and Organovo are using these 3D structures to test drugs on human tissues without animal models, focusing on a specific case: a colorectal cancer organoid platform that pre
How Biotech Startups Use Cell Painting for Drug Discovery
Episode 123 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into cell painting, an image-based profiling technique that is transforming early-stage drug discovery. Lucas and Luna explore how startups like Recursion Pharmaceuticals and the Broad Institute's teams use fluorescent dyes and automated microscopy to capture thousands of cellular features per well, creating a 'phenotypic fingerprint' of how compo
How Biotech Startups Are Using Circular RNA for Therapeutics
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, hosts Lucas and Luna explore the emerging field of circular RNA therapeutics. They explain how these stable, non-linear RNA molecules are being engineered by startups like Orna Therapeutics and Laronde (now part of Flagship Pioneering) to create durable protein expression without the immune activation seen in linear mRNA. The conversation covers th
How Biotech Startups Use Single-Cell Sequencing for Drug Discovery
Biotech startups are turning to single-cell sequencing to uncover how individual cells drive disease, enabling more precise drug targets and patient stratification. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore two companies: ScaleBio and Parse Biosciences. ScaleBio's method profiles thousands of cells at once, reducing costs to pennies per cell, while Parse's split-pool barcoding allows whole-transcrip
How Biotech Startups Use Base Editing for Precision Medicine
Episode 120 of Biotech Business with Fexingo explores base editing, a genome editing technology that chemically converts one DNA base pair to another without cutting the double helix. Lucas and Luna dive into a specific case: how startup Beam Therapeutics is advancing base editors for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, with a focus on their ongoing clinical trials as of mid-2026. They discu
How Biotech Startups Use AI for Protein Design
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging artificial intelligence to design novel proteins from scratch. They discuss the case of David Baker's lab at the University of Washington and the spinout company Protein Design Labs, which uses deep learning to create proteins that don't exist in nature. The hosts break down how these AI-designed proteins can be used for e
How Biotech Startups Use Drug Conjugates Beyond Cancer
This episode drills into the emerging world of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) — but not for oncology. Lucas and Luna explore how startups like Mersana Therapeutics and others are repurposing the ADC platform to target fibrosis, autoimmune disease, and inflammation. They break down the science behind linker technology and payload selection, and walk through a specific case: a Phase 1 trial for an
How Biotech Startups Use Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Targeted Cancer Therapy
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the fast-growing field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) — cancer treatments that deliver potent chemotherapy directly to tumor cells. They break down the science behind ADCs, using Pfizer's Mylotarg as a cautionary tale and focusing on Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca's Enhertu as a modern success story. The conversation cove
How Biotech Startups Use Synthetic Lethality for Precision Oncology
Lucas and Luna dive into synthetic lethality, a precision oncology approach that exploits cancer cells' specific weaknesses. They focus on the real-world case of AstraZeneca and Merck's Lynparza (olaparib), the first PARP inhibitor approved for BRCA-mutant cancers, and explain how startups are now hunting for new synthetic lethal pairs beyond BRCA. The hosts discuss the science behind the concept
Why Biotech Startups Are Betting on AI-Driven Target Discovery
Episode 115 dives into how biotech startups are using artificial intelligence to find new drug targets, moving beyond the 5,000 or so proteins targeted by existing medicines. Lucas and Luna explore the story of Insitro, a startup using machine learning to analyze genomic and phenotypic data at scale, and discuss how AI platforms like those from Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Atomwise are reshaping
How Biotech Startups Are Using Bacterial Engineering for Drug Discovery
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are engineering bacteria to discover and produce new drugs, moving beyond traditional small-molecule screening. They focus on the case of Synlogic, a startup that uses synthetic biology to reprogram probiotic bacteria to treat metabolic diseases, including a clinical-stage program for phenylketonuria. The hosts discus
How Biotech Startups Use Organ Chips for Drug Testing
Episode 113 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into organ-on-a-chip technology, a fast-growing alternative to traditional animal testing and cell cultures. Lucas and Luna explore how startups like Emulate and TissUse are building microfluidic devices that mimic human lung, liver, and kidney functions. They discuss a specific case: a 2025 study where a lung-on-a-chip predicted drug-induced pulm
How Biotech Startups Use Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Drug Discovery
Today we look at how biotech startups are leveraging induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to transform drug discovery. We focus on a specific startup called StemCardia, which is using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to screen for heart failure treatments. Lucas explains how iPSCs work, why they overcome limitations of traditional cell lines, and how they are enabling more human-relevant toxicity tes
Why Biotech Startups Are Betting on Molecular Glues
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore why biotech startups are increasingly turning to molecular glues — small molecules that force proteins to stick together, enabling degradation or stabilization of undruggable targets. They discuss the science behind molecular glues, how they differ from traditional PROTACs, and why Vividion Therapeutics and Proximity Bio are
How Biotech Startups Use Epigenetic Editing to Treat Disease
In episode 110 of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna dive into epigenetic editing — a technology that changes gene expression without altering DNA sequence. They explore how startups like Chroma Medicine are developing programmable epigenetic silencers for chronic diseases like hepatitis B, and discuss the key advantage over CRISPR: reversibility. The hosts also touch on the regulatory landscape and
How Biotech Startups Use In Vivo Gene Therapy for Rare Diseases
Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are using in vivo gene therapy to treat rare genetic diseases, focusing on the case of Sarepta Therapeutics and its FDA-approved therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. They discuss the challenges of delivering genes to specific tissues, the controversy around accelerated approvals, and the economics of one-time treatments priced over $3 million. The ep
How Biotech Startups Use Microbiome Therapies to Treat Chronic Disease
In this episode of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna dive into the emerging field of microbiome-based therapies for chronic diseases. They focus on the case of Seres Therapeutics, whose oral microbiome therapeutic VOWST was approved by the FDA in 2023 for recurrent C. difficile infection. Seres faced a market cap below $100 million in mid-2024 after a rocky launch and reimbursement hurdles, but new
How Biotech Startups Use CRISPRa to Activate Disease-Fighting Genes
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore CRISPRa — a gene activation technology that turns on silenced genes to fight disease. They focus on a specific case: a startup called Moonwalk Therapeutics, which is using CRISPRa to reactivate fetal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Unlike CRISPR-Cas9 which cuts DNA, CRISPRa uses a catalyt
How Biotech Startups Use Extracellular Vesicles for Drug Delivery
Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are engineering extracellular vesicles—tiny lipid bubbles naturally used by cells for intercellular communication—as a next-generation drug delivery platform. They focus on the case of Codiak BioSciences, which clinical-trialled engineered exosomes to deliver cancer therapeutics, and compare the approach to lipid nanoparticles and viral vectors. The epis
How Biotech Startups Use mRNA Medicines Beyond Vaccines
In episode 105 of Biotech Business, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are leveraging messenger RNA technology for applications far beyond COVID-19 vaccines. They dive into Moderna's ongoing trials for personalized cancer vaccines, the rise of mRNA-based therapies for rare liver diseases like methylmalonic acidemia, and startup strategies for overcoming delivery barriers to new organs. Th
How Biotech Startups Use Targeted Protein Degradation to Tackle Undruggable Targets
Lucas and Luna dive into the world of targeted protein degradation, a technology that could redefine drug discovery by tackling proteins once considered undruggable. They break down how biotech startups like Arvinas and Kymera Therapeutics are using PROTACs and molecular glues to degrade disease-causing proteins from within cells. Lucas explains the mechanism—a chimeric molecule that tags a protei
How Biotech Startups Use Lipid Nanoparticles Beyond COVID Vaccines
Episode 103 explores how lipid nanoparticles — the technology behind the first mRNA COVID vaccines — are being repurposed by startups for mRNA therapies in rare liver diseases, cancer immunotherapies, and even inhaled lung treatments. Lucas and Luna break down the mechanics of LNPs, the race to improve tropism beyond the liver, and what the next wave of clinical trials means for patients. Featurin
How Biotech Startups Use Gene Switches for Cell Therapy Control
Episode 102 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into the emerging field of synthetic gene circuits that act as kill switches or logic gates for cell therapies. Lucas and Luna explore how startups like Senti Biosciences and Cellectis are engineering controllable CAR-T cells to reduce toxicity and improve safety. The hosts break down the science of AND-gates and safety switches, using concrete ex
How Biotech Startups Use Prime Editing to Treat Genetic Disease
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into prime editing, the next-generation gene-editing technology that promises to correct up to 89% of known disease-causing mutations. They explore how Prime Medicine, a startup founded by the technology's co-inventor Dr. David Liu, is leading the charge, and why prime editing offers key advantages over CRISPR and base editing —
How Biotech Startups Use RNA Editing to Treat Genetic Diseases
Episode 100 of Biotech Business with Fexingo celebrates a milestone by diving into RNA editing — a therapeutic approach that corrects mutations at the messenger RNA level without altering DNA. Lucas and Luna explain how startups like Wave Life Sciences and Ascidian Therapeutics are harnessing ADAR enzymes and synthetic RNA molecules to treat conditions from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency to Rett s
How Biotech Startups Use Base Editing to Treat Genetic Disorders
Episode 99 of Biotech Business with Fexingo focuses on base editing, a precise gene-editing technology that corrects point mutations without cutting DNA. Lucas and Luna discuss how startups like Beam Therapeutics are advancing base editors for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, the differences from CRISPR, and the regulatory landscape as of mid-2026. They explore recent clinical data, deliv
How Biotech Startups Use CAR-NK Cells Beyond CAR-T
Episode 98 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into CAR-NK cell therapy, the emerging competitor to CAR-T that promises off-the-shelf availability and lower toxicity. Lucas and Luna explore why startups like Fate Therapeutics and Artiva Biotherapeutics are betting on natural killer cells over T cells, examining the science of reduced cytokine release syndrome and the engineering challenges of p
How Biotech Startups Use AI for Drug Repurposing
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are using artificial intelligence to repurpose existing drugs for new indications. They focus on the case of Recursion Pharmaceuticals, which combines AI-driven high-throughput screening with a massive proprietary dataset to identify potential candidates in weeks rather than years. The hosts discuss speci
How Biotech Startups Use Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Solid Tumors
Antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, are one of the hottest areas in cancer drug development. In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the revolution happening in the ADC space, anchored by the recent FDA approval of Enhertu for HER2-low breast cancer—a paradigm shift that expanded the definition of a treatable patient population. They explore how startups are engin
How Biotech Startups Use Synthetic Lethality to Target Cancer Vulnerabilities
Most cancer drugs attack the tumor directly. But a growing number of biotech startups are taking a smarter approach: synthetic lethality. Instead of hitting the cancer cell head-on, they exploit its own genetic weaknesses. In this episode, Lucas and Luna look at the science behind synthetic lethality and how it's being commercialized. They break down the landmark example of PARP inhibitors in BRCA
How Biotech Startups Use Drug Conjugates for Targeted Delivery
Lucas and Luna explore the rise of drug conjugates beyond the well-known antibody-drug conjugates. They focus on a specific case: a startup called CuraConjugate, which uses peptide-drug conjugates to target pancreatic cancer with a novel linker technology. The episode covers the challenges of linker chemistry, how the payload is released only at the tumor site, and why this approach could reduce s
How Biotech Startups Use Proteomics to Find New Drug Targets
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are using proteomics—the large-scale study of proteins—to discover new drug targets beyond genomics. They focus on the case of Seer, a proteomics company that has developed a proprietary nanoparticle technology to capture the proteome from blood samples, enabling deep profiling without the need for costly mass spectrometry upgrades. Luca
How Biotech Startups Use Antisense Oligonucleotides for Neurological Diseases
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the world of antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, a therapeutic modality that is quietly transforming treatment for certain neurological diseases. They focus on the case of nusinersen, the ASO drug for spinal muscular atrophy developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Biogen, which went from a scientific concept to FDA approval in under a decade. Lucas explain
How Biotech Startups Use Bispecific Antibodies for Solid Tumors
Episode 91 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into the next wave of cancer immunotherapy: bispecific antibodies that bring T cells right next to tumor cells. Lucas and Luna break down the mechanics, using the FDA approval of blinatumomab as a starting point, then explore how startups are now targeting solid tumors with new generations of bispecifics. They discuss key challenges like cytokine r
How Biotech Startups Use Organ Chips to Replace Animal Testing
Episode 90 of Biotech Business with Fexingo explores how startups are using organ-on-a-chip technology to replace animal testing in drug development. Lucas and Luna dive into the specific example of Emulate's Human Liver-Chip, which mimics human liver function and has shown 87% accuracy in predicting drug-induced liver injury in clinical trials. They discuss how these microfluidic devices reduce r
How Biotech Startups Use Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Drug Discovery
Episode 89 of Biotech Business with Fexingo explores how biotech startups are leveraging induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to transform drug discovery and disease modeling. Lucas and Luna dive into the science behind reprogramming adult cells into pluripotent stem cells, enabling patient-specific organoids and high-throughput screening. They discuss real-world applications, including how comp
How Biotechs Use Phage Display to Discover New Antibodies
Episode 88 of Biotech Business dives into phage display technology, the protein engineering tool behind some of the most successful antibody drugs. Lucas and Luna use a concrete example: a startup using phage display to discover a bispecific antibody for an autoimmune disease. They break down the process — from the M13 bacteriophage to panning libraries to optimizing hits — and discuss why this te
How Biotech Startups Use Directed Evolution to Engineer Better Enzymes
In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into directed evolution — the Nobel Prize-winning technique that lets biotech startups evolve enzymes in the lab to solve industrial and therapeutic challenges. They explore the story of Codexis, a company that evolved an enzyme to make the blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor more efficiently, saving Pfizer millions. Lucas expl
How Biotech Startups Use Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis for Neurology
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how early-stage biotech companies are targeting the gut-brain axis to treat neurological conditions. They focus on Axial Therapeutics, a startup developing a small-molecule drug to reduce systemic inflammation in Parkinson's disease. The hosts walk through the biology: how gut bacteria produce metabolites that can cross the blood-brain barrier and influence
Recommended
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
World News Tonight with David Muir
Talk About Talk - Executive & Leadership Communication Skills
Learn English B1 with Daily News | English Listening Practice
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
Stand In The Circle
Conspiracy Files with Paige Carter
English Vocabulary Help
Bad Friends
The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories
The Bread and Banter Podcast
