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  • How Biotechs Are Using Organ Chips to Replace Animal Testing

    How Biotechs Are Using Organ Chips to Replace Animal Testing
    2026/06/08
    Episode 39 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into organ-on-a-chip technology—tiny devices lined with living human cells that mimic organs like lungs, livers, and hearts. Lucas and Luna explore how startups such as Emulate and TissUse are replacing animal models with these chips to accelerate drug development and cut costs. They break down the science behind the chips, highlight a case where a liver chip predicted a drug's toxicity that animal tests missed, and discuss the regulatory push from the FDA's recent mandate to reduce animal testing. The episode also touches on the market—projected to reach $5.6 billion by 2030—and the challenges of scaling manufacturing. If you're in biotech or curious about how drugs actually get approved, this is a concrete look at a technology reshaping preclinical research. #OrganOnAChip #OrgansOnChips #AnimalTestingAlternatives #DrugDiscovery #PreclinicalResearch #EmulateBio #TissUse #FDA #FDAModernizationAct #BiotechStartups #LifeSciences #Microfluidics #LiverChip #LungChip #HeartChip #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use CRISPR Screens to Find Drug Targets

    How Biotech Startups Use CRISPR Screens to Find Drug Targets
    2026/06/08
    Episode 38 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into how biotech startups are using CRISPR screens to systematically identify drug targets. Lucas and Luna break down the technology behind pooled CRISPR knockout screens, explain how they differ from traditional target discovery, and walk through a real example: how a startup called Maze Therapeutics used CRISPR screens to uncover a novel target for kidney disease. They also discuss the challenges of off-target effects and the shift toward in vivo screens. The episode ends with a brief, low-key note on listener support at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Perfect for anyone curious about how genomics is accelerating the first step of drug development. #CRISPR #DrugDiscovery #TargetIdentification #BiotechStartup #Genomics #MazeTherapeutics #PooledScreens #InVivoCRISPR #GeneEditing #KidneyDisease #Ganovo #BiotechBusiness #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #DrugDevelopment #FunctionalGenomics #Biotech Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 分
  • How Biotechs Are Using Cell Painting to Profile Drugs

    How Biotechs Are Using Cell Painting to Profile Drugs
    2026/06/07
    Episode 37 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into cell painting — a high-content imaging technique that biotech startups are using to profile drug mechanisms, predict toxicity, and accelerate hit-to-lead decisions. Lucas explains how automated microscopy and machine learning turn thousands of cellular images into a 'morphological fingerprint' for each compound. Luna asks about scalability and how startups compete with big pharma's legacy assays. The episode walks through a concrete example: Recursion Pharmaceuticals, which uses cell painting at industrial scale, and how a new startup called Syzgy Bio is applying the method to phenotypic screens for rare diseases. Lucas closes with a forward-looking question about whether cell painting could replace traditional target-based screens. #CellPainting #DrugDiscovery #BiotechStartups #HighContentImaging #MorphologicalProfiling #PhenotypicScreen #MachineLearning #RecursionPharmaceuticals #SyzgyBio #HitToLead #DrugToxicity #LifeSciences #LabAutomation #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BiotechPodcast #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    13 分
  • How Biotech Startups Are Using Base Editing to Treat Genetic Disease

    How Biotech Startups Are Using Base Editing to Treat Genetic Disease
    2026/06/07
    Base editing is a newer gene-editing technology that can change a single DNA letter without cutting the double helix. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how biotech startups are applying base editing to treat genetic diseases like sickle cell disease and progeria. They discuss the story of Beam Therapeutics, the first company to take a base editor into clinical trials, and contrast base editing with both traditional CRISPR and newer prime editing. The hosts break down the science behind adenine and cytosine base editors, the business of licensing foundational IP from the Broad Institute, and the regulatory path for in vivo therapies. They also touch on the ethical considerations and what this means for patients with currently untreatable conditions. Specific numbers: Beam's lead program in sickle cell disease, the estimated patient population, and the timeline for early-phase data. This episode is for anyone interested in the frontier of precision genetic medicine beyond CRISPR-Cas9. #BaseEditing #GeneEditing #BeamTherapeutics #SickleCellDisease #Progeria #DavidLiu #BroadInstitute #PrimeEditing #CRISPR #PrecisionMedicine #GeneticDisease #AdenineBaseEditor #CytosineBaseEditor #BiotechStartups #FDA #ClinicalTrials #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Biotech Startups Are Using Liquid Biopsies for Early Cancer Detection

    How Biotech Startups Are Using Liquid Biopsies for Early Cancer Detection
    2026/06/06
    Episode 35 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into the world of liquid biopsies — blood tests that detect tumor DNA before symptoms appear. Lucas and Luna discuss how startups like Guardant Health and Grail are driving this technology, the science of circulating tumor DNA, and why regulatory shifts in 2026 are accelerating adoption. They also explore the economics: how liquid biopsies could cut screening costs by 60% and what that means for insurers. A compelling look at a field that's reshaping oncology from the ground up. #LiquidBiopsy #CancerDetection #GuardantHealth #Grail #CirculatingTumorDNA #EarlyCancerDetection #Oncology #BiotechStartups #FDAApprovals #PrecisionMedicine #LungCancer #ColorectalCancer #Diagnostics #BloodTest #Genomics #HealthcareInnovation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use Antibody Drug Conjugates to Treat Cancer

    How Biotech Startups Use Antibody Drug Conjugates to Treat Cancer
    2026/06/06
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the science and business behind antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a targeted cancer therapy that combines monoclonal antibodies with potent chemotherapy. They unpack the case of Enhertu, an ADC developed by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, which has shown remarkable efficacy in HER2-positive cancers. The hosts discuss how ADCs work like 'guided missiles' for cancer cells, the engineering challenges of linker technology, and the deal-making landscape around ADCs. They also highlight the growing interest from big pharma in ADC platforms, with more than 100 ADCs in clinical trials as of mid-2026. Lucas shares data on the ADC market, projected to exceed $30 billion by 2030, while Luna questions whether these therapies can overcome toxicity limitations. The episode ties in the broader trend of biologics and targeted drug delivery, offering listeners a concrete understanding of a technology that is reshaping oncology treatment. #AntibodyDrugConjugates #ADC #CancerTherapy #Oncology #Biotech #DrugDiscovery #TargetedTherapy #Enhertu #DaiichiSankyo #AstraZeneca #MonoclonalAntibodies #LinkerTechnology #Payload #HER2 #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use AI to Personalize Cancer Vaccines

    How Biotech Startups Use AI to Personalize Cancer Vaccines
    2026/06/05
    Episode 33 of Biotech Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna dive into the emerging field of personalized cancer vaccines. They focus on a specific case: how the startup Neon Therapeutics (now part of BioNTech) developed a neoantigen vaccine pipeline using AI to predict which mutations on a patient's tumor are most likely to trigger an immune response. The hosts walk through the key number: a phase 1 trial showed that 60% of patients with advanced melanoma had a T-cell response against their own tumor's neoantigens after receiving a personalized vaccine. Lucas explains the computational challenge—analyzing a patient's whole-exome sequencing data within weeks—and how platforms like Moderna's mRNA-4157 are now combining vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors. Luna asks tough questions about scalability, manufacturing costs (currently estimated at $100,000–$200,000 per dose), and whether the model can work for solid tumors beyond melanoma. They also touch on the FDA's recent guidance on neoantigen vaccines issued in March 2026. This episode is a deep look at how AI, genomics, and immunotherapy are converging to make truly individualized medicine a commercial reality. #PersonalizedCancerVaccines #Neoantigens #AIinBiotech #NeonTherapeutics #BioNTech #Moderna #CheckpointInhibitors #Melanoma #Immunotherapy #WholeExomeSequencing #PrecisionMedicine #ClinicalTrials #FDA #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BiotechBusiness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Biotech Startups Use Adaptive Trial Designs

    How Biotech Startups Use Adaptive Trial Designs
    2026/06/05
    Episode 32 of Biotech Business with Fexingo dives into adaptive clinical trial designs — a statistical approach that lets biotech startups modify trial parameters mid-study based on interim data. Lucas and Luna explore how this flexibility saves time and money, using the example of a mid-stage oncology trial that cut enrollment by 40% without sacrificing statistical power. They discuss Bayesian vs. frequentist methods, the FDA's adaptive design guidance (updated in 2023), and why small biotechs are leading adoption over Big Pharma. Specific numbers: how an adaptive Phase 2 trial can reduce sample size by 30–50% and shorten development timelines by 12–18 months. The episode also covers risks like operational bias and regulatory scrutiny. A concrete case: how a startup using adaptive basket trials tested three drugs simultaneously in biomarker-defined subgroups. Perfect for founders, investors, and anyone curious about smarter clinical development. #AdaptiveTrialDesign #ClinicalTrials #BiotechStartup #FDA #BayesianStatistics #DrugDevelopment #OncologyTrials #BasketTrial #PlatformTrial #Phase2 #Biostatistics #RareDisease #PrecisionMedicine #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LifeSciences Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分