Flot.bio x Philip Hemme

• Daniela Marino, CUTISS 🇨🇭 | Tissue Engineering, Skin Grafts | E42 [Sponsored]

  Hot on the heels of CUTISS’ $60M Series C round, we catch up once more with CEO and co-founder Daniela Marino. We chat about the company’s mission to develop an engineered tissue therapy to reduce the need for skin grafts in patients with severe burns. She also explains the decentralization of tissue manufacturing with automation and the need for perseverance as a founder and CEO.---This episode is sponsored by CUTISS, the only TechBio company in the advanced clinical stage of developing skin tissue therapies. Learn how you can support CUTISS on its path to Series C success: https://bit.ly/flotbio-cutiss---⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERIn 2023, Daniela Marino was named as one of the 30 Rising Leaders in the healthcare industry, thanks to the impact of CUTISS, the company she co-founded as a spin-off from the University of Zurich. Here, she and her team have made waves for people suffering from severe skin injuries and defects through regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and skin pigmentation.🔗 LINKS MENTIONED- CUTISS’ website – https://cutiss.swiss/- CUTISS’ Series C round – https://cutiss.swiss/cutiss-closes-chf-56m-series-c-round-and-signs-agreement-with-leading-european-burn-center/- CUTISS’ Phase II trial data – https://cutiss.swiss/phase-2-clinical-trials-update-from-cutiss/- Daniela Marino, CUTISS 🇨🇭 | Skin Tissue Therapeutics, TechBio | E33 – https://flot.bio/episode/daniela-marino-cutiss-skin-tissue-therapeutics/📜 TRANSCRIPTRead the full transcript here: https://flot.bio/episode/daniela-marino-cutiss-tissue-engineering/💸 DONATEWe welcome donations from individuals and businesses to support our podcast and allow us to create even more content: https://www.paypal.me/PhilipHemme⭐️ SPONSORSHIPReady to amplify your brand to influential leaders in biotech and biopharma? Contact [email protected] and unlock sponsorship opportunities in our podcasts!🫶 FOLLOW USNewsletter: http://eepurl.com/h_fnmH- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flot-bio/- X (Twitter): https://x.com/FlotBio🙏 LIKE/FOLLOW/REVIEWDid you enjoy the episode? Please hit the like and subscribe button. Also, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.🎙️ ABOUT FLOT.BIOFlot.bio is a show to watch the best Europeans in biotech to help you grow. Hosted by Philip Hemme. 25k monthly views. Free.⏰ TIMESTAMPS[00:00:00] Intro- [00:02:31] Investors in CUTISS’ Series C round [00:06:45] Expanding a hospital collaboration [00:08:34] Decentralized manufacturing drive [00:11:50] Tissue therapeutics vs skin grafts [00:24:35] Reimbursement and health economics [00:38:39] CUTISS’ partnering and exit options [00:47:54] Automation and artificial intelligence [00:56:32] Europe can show its strength in biotech [00:58:52] Daniela Marino answers quick-fire questions

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• Dragan Grabulovski, Araris 🇨🇭 | ADC Linkers, Replacing Chemotherapy | E41

  Philip meets up with Dragan Grabulovski, CEO of the startup Araris, at Lake Zurich to chat about the company’s work with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).They talk about Araris’ huge $400M upfront buyout by Taiho Pharma of Japan, Dragan’s extensive history as a biotech entrepreneur, and Araris’ vision to replace chemotherapy with ADCs.⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERDragan Grabulovski is a co-founder of the startup Araris and became CEO in 2023. He previously worked as a biotech consultant and startup coach in Switzerland. He co-founded the biotech company Covagen in 2007, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2014. Dragan has a Master’s degree and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from ETH Zurich.🔗 LINKS MENTIONED- Araris’ website: https://www.ararisbiotech.com/- Taiho Pharma acquires Araris: https://www.ararisbiotech.com/docs/250316_250317-araris-taiho-pr.pdf- Robin Carr, Myricx Bio 🇬🇧 | New ADC Payloads, London Biotech Startups | E38: https://flot.bio/episode/robin-carr-myricx-bio-adc/- Dominik Schumacher, Tubulis 🇩🇪 | Founder-led ADC Biotech ⭐️ | E19: https://flot.bio/episode/dominik-schumacher-tubulis/- ETH entrepreneurship and terms: https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/news-and-events/internal-news/archive/2025/07/new-business-creation-regulations-and-equity-and-licensing-policy.html 📜 TRANSCRIPTRead the full transcript here: https://flot.bio/episode/dragan-grabulovski-araris-adc/💸 DONATEWe welcome donations from individuals and businesses to support our podcast and allow us to create even more content: https://www.paypal.me/PhilipHemme⭐️ SPONSORSHIPReady to amplify your brand to influential leaders in biotech and biopharma? Contact [email protected] and unlock sponsorship opportunities in our podcasts!🫶 FOLLOW US- Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/h_fnmH- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flot-bio/- X (Twitter): https://x.com/FlotBio🙏 LIKE/FOLLOW/REVIEWDid you enjoy the episode? Please hit the like and subscribe button. Also, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.🎙️ ABOUT FLOT.BIOFlot.bio is a show to watch the best Europeans in biotech to help you grow. Hosted by Philip Hemme. 25k monthly views. Free.⏰ TIMESTAMPS- [00:00:00] Intro- [00:02:08] Araris’ acquisition by Taiho Pharma- [00:08:29] Covagen: Dragan Grabulovski’s first exit- [00:12:54] The origins of Araris and its ADC tech- [00:22:14] How to value a technology platform - [00:29:34] The burgeoning ADC market- [00:41:53] ADCs replacing chemotherapy- [00:46:15] The Swiss biotech ecosystem- [01:00:53] Quickfire questions

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• Stefano Portolano, Azafaros 🇳🇱 🇨🇭 | Rare Diseases, Small Molecules | E40

  On a trip to Basel, Switzerland, Philip catches up with Stefano Portolano, CEO of the European firm Azafaros. They chat about Azafaros’ massive $147M Series B round in May 2025, which is being used to develop a small molecule treatment for rare diseases known as lysosomal storage disorders.Stefano also explains how rare diseases went in and out of fashion with big pharma, the revival of small molecule drugs relative to gene therapies and biologics, and his extensive experience in big biotech firms.⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERWith more than 20 years of experience in orphan diseases under his belt, Stefano Portolano joined Azafaros in 2021. He previously served as Vice President, Strategy & Commercial Operations at Celgene and Head of Europe at Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals.Stefano first received his Doctor of Medicine from Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘Federico II,’ Italy and carried out research in autoimmunity as an adjunct assistant professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, USA.🔗 LINKS MENTIONED- Azafaros website - https://www.azafaros.com/- Azafaros Series B round - https://www.azafaros.com/news/azafaros-secures-132m-in-oversubscribed-series-b-financing-to-advance-phase-3-clinical-programs-of-innovative-therapies-in-lysosomal-storage-disorders/l211c14- Joris Pezzini, Alira Health | Hottest Biotech Insights - https://flot.bio/episode/joris-pezzini-alira-health-biotech-trend/- Marc de Garidel, Abivax | How to make two Billion-dollar exits (“smoothly”) - https://flot.bio/episode/marc-de-garidel-abivax-exit/📜 TRANSCRIPTRead the full transcript here: https://flot.bio/episode/stefano-portolano-azafaros-rare-disease/💸 DONATEWe welcome donations from individuals and businesses to support our podcast and allow us to create even more content: https://www.paypal.me/PhilipHemme⭐️ SPONSORSHIPReady to amplify your brand to influential leaders in biotech and biopharma? Contact [email protected] and unlock sponsorship opportunities in our podcasts!🫶 FOLLOW US- Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/h_fnmH- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flot-bio/- X (Twitter): https://x.com/FlotBio🙏 LIKE/FOLLOW/REVIEWDid you enjoy the episode? Please hit the like and subscribe button. Also, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.🎙️ ABOUT FLOT.BIOFlot.bio is a show to watch the best Europeans in biotech to help you grow. Hosted by Philip Hemme. 20k monthly views. Free.⏰ TIMESTAMPS- [00:00:00] Intro- [00:01:45] Azafaros’ origin and $147M B round- [00:04:39] Developing nizubaglustat- [00:11:17] Competition in Niemann-Pick disease type C- [00:18:44] The small molecule revival- [00:24:29] Keeping options open- [00:27:23] Europe’s growing role in biotech investments- [00:30:12] The rare disease fashion- [00:51:20] Getting personal with Stefano Portolano- [01:11:11] Quickfire

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• Alex Zhavoronkov, Insilico Medicine | AI Drug Development, Longevity | E39

  We chat about longevity with Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO and founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Insilico Medicine.Born in Latvia, Alex founded Insilico in 2014, with the company raising a huge $110M Series E round this year.Alex gives us a tour of Insilico’s sprawling pipeline, a blunt rundown of the competitive landscape in AI drug development, and explains how Insilico is navigating the huge challenges faced by longevity-focused startups.⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERAlex founded Insilico in 2014 after serving in senior roles at ATI Technologies, NeuroGNeuroinformatics, and the Biogerontology Research Foundation.With an academic background in biomedicine and computer technology, he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and has bachelor’s degrees from Queen's University, Canada, a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, US, and a PhD from Moscow State University, Russia.🔗 LINKS MENTIONEDInsilico Medicine’s website: https://insilico.com/Insilico Medicine’s phase 2a results: https://insilico.com/blog/1112Insilico Medicine’s Series E round: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-medicine-secures-110-million-series-e-financing-to-advance-ai-driven-drug-discovery-innovation-302401040.htmlThomas Clozel, Owkin | What does AI Biotech really mean | E10: https://flot.bio/episode/thomas-clozel-ai-biotech/📜 TRANSCRIPTRead the full transcript here: https://flot.bio/episode/alex-zhavoronkov-insilico-medicine-ai-drug-development-longevity/💸 DONATEWe welcome donations from individuals and businesses to support our podcast and allow us to create even more content: https://www.paypal.me/PhilipHemme⭐️ SPONSORSHIPReady to amplify your brand to influential leaders in biotech and biopharma? Contact [email protected] and unlock sponsorship opportunities in our podcasts!🫶 FOLLOW USNewsletter: http://eepurl.com/h_fnmHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flot-bio/X (Twitter): https://x.com/FlotBio🙏 LIKE/FOLLOW/REVIEWDid you enjoy the episode? Please hit the like and subscribe button. Also, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.🎙️ ABOUT FLOT.BIOFlot.bio is a show to watch the best Europeans in biotech to help you grow. Hosted by Philip Hemme. 20k monthly views. Free.⏰ TIMESTAMPSIntro [00:00:00][00:01:43] Longevity: work, romances and bromances[00:07:56] Survival in the graveyard of longevity drugs[00:14:57] Insilico Medicine comes of age[00:23:12] Landmark efficacy in AI drug program[00:28:15] A sprawling pipeline for Insilico Medicine[00:36:34] Small molecules vs biologics[00:40:57] Competition and benchmarks[00:52:20] Alex Zhavoronkov on longevity myths

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• Robin Carr, Myricx Bio 🇬🇧 | New ADC Payloads, London Biotech Startups | E38

  We jet off to Central London to meet Robin Carr, CEO of Myricx Bio, a startup developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat cancer.The team’s idea – using a novel ADC payload inhibiting molecules called N-myristoyltransferases (NMTs) – helped them to bag an impressive £90M ($114M) Series A round in 2024.Robin outlines Myricx’s journey from small molecule antivirals to the booming market of cancer ADCs, and how the transition from big pharma to biotech has been an energising experience for him.--------------------This episode is sponsored by Kadans. Learn more about Kadans’ London Innovation Centre where life sciences companies grow from start-up to global player: https://bit.ly/kadans-myricxbio--------------------⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERRobin kicked off his Myricx experience as chief development officer in November 2019, before rising to the CEO seat in August 2022. Before this, he was VP of drug discovery at Astex Therapeutics, before spending more than a decade in research executive roles at GSK. ending up as SVP Drug Design and Selection.🔗 LINKS MENTIONED- Myricx Bio’s website: (https://tiltbio.com/)https://myricxbio.com/- Myrcix Bio’s Series A round: (https://tiltbio.com/userassets/uploads/2025/05/TILT-Series-B-press-release-May-2025.pdf)https://myricxbio.com/myricx-bio-announces-90m-114m-series-a-financing-to-advance-its-novel-nmti-adc-therapeutics-into-clinical-development/- A winding road – the many adventures of a promising ADC - Cancer Research UK: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/07/09/a-winding-road-the-many-adventures-of-a-promising-adc/- Dominik Schumacher, Tubulis 🇩🇪 | Founder-led ADC Biotech ⭐️ | E19: https://flot.bio/episode/dominik-schumacher-tubulis/📜 TRANSCRIPTRead the full transcript here: https://flot.bio/episode/robin-carr-myricx-bio-adc/💸 DONATEWe welcome donations from individuals and businesses to support our podcast and allow us to create even more content: https://www.paypal.me/PhilipHemme⭐️ SPONSORSHIPReady to amplify your brand to influential leaders in biotech and biopharma? Contact [email protected] and unlock sponsorship opportunities in our podcasts!🫶 FOLLOW US- Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/h_fnmH- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flot-bio/- X (Twitter): https://x.com/FlotBio🙏 LIKE/FOLLOW/REVIEWDid you enjoy the episode? Please hit the like and subscribe button. Also, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.🎙️ ABOUT FLOT.BIOFlot.bio is a show to watch the best Europeans in biotech to help you grow. Hosted by Philip Hemme. 20k monthly views. Free.⏰ TIMESTAMPS[00:00:00] Intro[00:02:43] Navigating biotech networking[00:07:30] Myricx’s Series A and transformation[00:10:45] The pivot to ADCs[00:22:10] NMT ADCs in cancer[00:32:09] The big pharma to biotech leap[00:42:39] ADCs in Europe, the US and Asia[00:46:17] ADCs are a booming market[00:52:35] Quick-fire questions

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