Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

Today we welcome Koenraad Wiedhaup, Co-Founder and CEO of Leyden Labs, and Clarissa Koch, the company's Chief Scientific Officer.
Leyden Labs is pioneering a revolutionary non-vaccine approach to combat respiratory viruses like influenza and coronaviruses. Recently, they published groundbreaking data in Science Translational Medicine, demonstrating that their intranasal antibody spray is safe, well-tolerated, and delivers sustained protection right at the virus's entry point: the nose. This innovation addresses the shortcomings of traditional flu vaccines, which average just 13% effectiveness against infection and provide even less for vulnerable groups like the elderly and immunocompromised.
We'll dive into the science, the company's journey since its 2020 founding, and their recent €50 million European funding boost amid U.S. biotech challenges.
01:33: Meet Koenraad Wiedhaup
03:13: Meet Clarissa Koch
04:16: Leyden Labs' origin story
06:21: Mucosal protection platform explained
08:57: Complementing existing vaccines
11:47: Science of mucosal immunity
13:24: PanFlu lead candidate overview
16:42: Key findings from recent publication
22:02: Funding and future preparedness
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To dive deeper into the topic: 
Seven biotech companies to know in the Netherlands
The Netherlands’ biotech scene: The country sets its sights on becoming a global leader by 2040 
Influenza solution deals pile up as pandemic preparedness increases

Today, we welcome Janita Good, a Partner at Fieldfisher with nearly two decades of experience advising top organizations in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. With a D.Phil. in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, Janita brings a unique blend of scientific insight and legal expertise to her work on venture investments, joint ventures, partnerships, and M&A deals. She's advised on landmark transactions, including funding rounds for Phynova and MedAnnex, and collaborations like Intelligent Ultrasound's AI imaging partnerships.
In this episode, Janita shares practical guidance for biotech leaders on timing partnerships with larger pharma companies, planning for commercialization from the start, balancing optimistic fundraising with realistic deal projections, and avoiding common legal pitfalls in M&A. We'll also look ahead to emerging trends in the sector and talk through the best way to structure a company for tax effective partnering and licensing.
01:29: Meet Janita Good
04:42: Fieldfisher's life sciences focus
07:20: Fieldfisher’s differentiated approach
09:41: Timing early partnering discussions
17:26: Structuring for efficient deals
21:36: Planning commercialization from start
25:22: Key early legal considerations
30:00: Balancing fundraising and realism
36:25: Optimism in the biotech industry
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To dive deeper into the topic: 
How biotech startups become unicorns
The ABC of biotech startup funding
Biotech’s legal storm: Why securities class action lawsuits are surging

Today we’re joined by Sean MacDonald, CEO of Kainova Therapeutics. With more than twenty years of biotech leadership and deep expertise in strategy and development, Sean is guiding the company through an exciting new chapter.
We’ll dive into Kainova’s innovative GPCR-modulating platform, its promising pipeline, the science behind reversing tumor immunosuppression and targeting inflammation, and the reasons behind the recent rebrand from Domain Therapeutics to Kainova Therapeutics.
We’ll also be taking a look at the broader oncology landscape—what’s hot, who’s investing big, and where the biggest opportunities and challenges lie.
01:09 – Meet Sean Macdonald
05:40 – Kainova's GPCR platform and therapeutic focus
08:57 – The story and meaning behind the Kainova rebrand
10:25 – Series B funding and pipeline programs
16:43 – Exciting trends and innovations in oncology
29:17 – Upcoming milestones and future plans
Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! 
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To dive deeper into the topic: 
GPCR therapies: Eight promising biotechs hacking the cell signaling pathway
Episode 182: Building a smart oncology pipeline with Cumulus Oncology
Episode 34: eClinical Solutions, GPCR Therapeutics, Orbsen Therapeutics

Our guest is Sergey Jakimov, the Founding and Managing Partner of LongeVC, a venture capital firm dedicated to backing early-stage biotech and longevity startups. A serial entrepreneur, Sergey has co-founded ventures like Longenesis, a medical tech startup unlocking biomedical data for drug discovery, and the Longevity Science Foundation, a non-profit advancing healthy human lifespan. He’s been named to Forbes Latvia's 30 Under 30 in technology and healthcare, and via LongeVC, he invests in innovation in areas including therapeutics, diagnostics, and personalized medicine.
In this episode, Sergey warns about the rising danger of misinformation disguised as health advice—where influencers and hype outpace evidence-based science. I hope you enjoy our discussion as we unpack this public health challenge and explore solutions for a more credible biotech landscape.
01:22           Meet Sergey Jakimov
06:14           Developing a longevity focus
10:47           A typical day at LongeVC
13:26           The LongeVC portfolio
17:28           Misinformation as health crisis
26:04           The harm of bad advice
33:16           The impact on biotech industry funding
36:18           Strategies for addressing misinformation
42:17           Optimism about trends in longevity
Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! 
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To dive deeper into the topic: 
13 anti-aging startups on a mission to extend lives
Turning back time with cellular reprogramming: Shift raises $16 million in seed funding
Are European biotech VCs under pressure to scale? Time to get pragmatic

Today, we're joined by Professor Matthew Wood, a leading figure in neuroscience and RNA-based therapeutics. He is Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division, and Director of both the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre and the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre, a groundbreaking partnership between the University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute dedicated to accelerating therapies for rare genetic diseases affecting millions worldwide.
In today’s episode we discuss his vision for making antisense oligonucleotides (or ASOs) and gene editing more modular, more scalable, and faster by collaborating with regulators, scientists, and patient groups to bring hope to those with rare neuromuscular and genetic conditions.
With rare disease day coming up just next week, I hope you enjoy the insights that Professor Wood shares on the future of the fight against rare disease.
01:23 – Meet Matthew Wood
07:26 – The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre
10:33 – Collaborations, philanthropy, and industry partnerships
13:55 – Key challenges in rare disease therapy development
20:00 – Modular and scalable platforms for ASOs
28:08 – Scaling gene editing like CRISPR for rare diseases
32:38 – Role of AI and computational tools in acceleration
37:28 – Future breakthroughs in rare disease treatments
44:07 – Advice for new researchers in the field
Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! 
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To dive deeper into the topic: 
Prader Willi syndrome: five much-anticipated therapies poised for approval 
First-ever approval for Barth Syndrome treatment: what does this mean for ultra-rare disease therapeutics? 
When rare diseases are not so rare after all: A closer look at where and why this happens