| Host |
Sam Kessel
|
| Listen | Apple Podcasts Spotify |
| Watch | YouTube |
Summary
In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Raj Devraj, a venture partner at Atlas Venture and CEO of Rectify Pharmaceuticals, shares his remarkable journey from growing up in India to becoming a seasoned drug hunter and biotech entrepreneur. Drawing from his extensive experience at Pfizer and multiple successful biotech startups, Raj discusses the challenges of navigating the current risk-averse capital market, emphasizing the importance of being capital efficient, following the science, and having a clear target product profile.
He details the founding of Rectify, a platform company developing positive functional modulators for membrane proteins, highlighting their strategic pivot to focus on hepatobiliary diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis. Throughout the conversation, Raj provides invaluable advice for entrepreneurs, stressing the need for resilience, courage, and innovation, while underscoring the critical role of building strong relationships, maintaining scientific rigor, and always keeping the end goal of developing transformative therapies for patients in mind.
Show Notes
2:23 Raj describes growing up in India as a land of hustlers and the importance of being aggressive to advance oneself.
6:37 Discusses the challenges of the current biotech funding environment and the importance of being capital efficient.
11:17 Explains his career transition from large pharma to biotech, highlighting his ability to translate breakthrough science into products.
21:11 Describes founding Rectify Pharmaceuticals and building a platform for positive functional modulators targeting membrane proteins.
25:08 Explains the company's pivot to focusing on hepatobiliary diseases, particularly primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
33:00 Emphasizes the importance of relationships, mentorship, and getting feedback from various stakeholders in building a successful biotech company.
56:46 Discusses how he initially vetted the Rectify platform by extensively researching ABC transporters and developing screening assays.
1:05:21 Highlights the courage to explore broader applications of the platform beyond rare monogenic diseases.
1:12:44 Provides final advice for entrepreneurs, stressing the importance of having a detailed plan, being realistic, and building a strong founding team.
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