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Dr. James Peyer, PhD, is the Founder and CEO of Cambrian Biopharma, a Distributed xDevelopment Company developing therapeutics targeting the biological drivers of aging.
Cambrian Biopharma brings together experts, scientists, and experienced company builders in a new model of entrepreneurship related to health span and aging. Dr. Peyer was previously the founder of Apollo Ventures, a successful venture capital firm focused on the longevity biotech space. He has spoken on the topic of longevity biotech and investing for Bloomberg, The Economist, TEDx, Longevity Leaders, ETH Zurich, and the Max Planck Institute on the Biology of Aging.
Today, Dr. Peyer joins host Chris Patil to discuss venture capitalism in the longevity space and the new models that are changing the game. After discussing his previous experiences with VC, Dr. Peyer introduces the Distributed Development Company (DISCO) model, which allows scientists to partner with an umbrella company (like Cambrian) instead of selling their discovery to a pharma company. He explains how this model allows investors to support scientists through the whole process of drug development, from initial idea to commercialization, while prioritizing the quality of the science above everything else. Dr. Peyer then goes on to give some details about Cambrian’s success so far and how it sources and supports up-and-coming talent in the longevity field. He finishes up by making some predictions about the future of biotech companies and how the DISCO model will have a big role to play.
In this episode, you’ll learn about venture capitalism’s role in scientific discovery and development and why Dr. Peyer believes a new model is necessary to remove the inefficiencies in the current process.
Episode Highlights:
· Dr. Peyer’s experience with Apollo Ventures and why he’s moved on to Cambrian Biopharma
· The future of the longevity space will come in two stages: reusing insights into what makes us age to build drugs for today, and using those safe and effective drugs to slow down the rate of aging in healthy people
· In the long run, company-based models will be better than fund-based ones for the longevity space
· The Distributed Development Company model (aka DISCO)
· Cambrian started with three programs and has scaled up to over fourteen in two years
· Cambrian prioritizes the quality of the science over hype
· Cambrian has raised about $160 million since 2019, including $100 million Series C financing at the end of October
· Cambrian sources talent through constant monitoring of the scientific field
· The DISCO model was designed to correct inefficiencies in the process of getting funding for scientists and their discoveries
· Drug development is a risky process, and Cambrian ensures success by carefully monitoring progress at every stage
· Being a bona fide longevity biotech organization means being willing to support every single program from funding to commercialization
· There are opportunities to partner with big pharma companies, but commitment to the whole process is the default
· Cambrian’s two publicly-disclosed programs are with Vita Therapeutics, a cell engineering company run out of Johns Hopkins
· One of the advantages Cambrian can provide to scientists is the ability to keep their discoveries as trade secrets as long as possible to maximize their patent lifespan
· The potential for the DISCO model to be used in other fields beyond longevity
· The possibility of failure and how Cambrian works to avoid it by being realistic and strategic and bringing expertise on board
· DISCO works really well for asset-centric breakthroughs made by...