Hi ,

Welcome back to our SynBio for Human Health newsletter! 

It’s been a turbulent time in the financial markets following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the takeover of Credit Suisse. Given these recent upsets and following months of uncertainty in the markets, we reached out to some of the most respected investors across synbio for human health to learn their insights on this macroeconomic environment. 

What should human health startups prepare for in the next 12-18 months? What tech, target, modality, and investment trends should they be aware of? What are investors looking for and what best-practices should companies follow when pitching their vision in this economic environment? You’ll find answers to all these questions and more in this edition. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to our Human Health Newsletter so you don't miss the next edition!

Also in this edition: 

• An exclusive Opinion on the power of AI for drug discovery by Sean McClain, founder and CEO of Absci

• Spotlight on: protein therapeutics

• News from the community and more

Looking Ahead: The Human Health Investment Landscape

Image: (from left) Felice Verduyn-van Weegen (EQT Life Sciences), Marina Record (Baillie Gifford), and Ursheet Parikh (Mayfield Fund)

It’s no secret that today’s investment landscape is extremely challenging. The macroeconomic environment has depressed public markets and put pressure on all levels of investment, from seed through IPO. Synbio on its own is already considered a high-risk, high-reward sector. Combined with the inherent risks of therapeutics development, synbio companies in human health face a generally challenging outlook. So what do synbio for human health companies need to know to successfully navigate the next 12-18 months? 

Read the full insights →

Marina Record and Ursheet Parikh will be speaking at this year’s SynBioBeta! Join us to hear more insights!

SynBioBeta 2023: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference is just over eight weeks away! We are looking forward to bringing together experts from around the world to discuss the latest advancements and innovations in synthetic biology. This event is an invaluable platform for scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to network, collaborate and learn about the most cutting-edge research and developments in the field.

Early Bird Pass expires midnight on Friday, March 31st.

Opinion: Synbio and AI combine for a more cohesive approach to drug discovery

By Sean McClain, Absci Founder and CEO

Synthetic biology offers a diverse collection of tools to help accelerate existing processes in pharma. But these capabilities remain scattered and difficult to integrate. Today, a new generation of synbio-native companies offers drug makers a more cohesive approach by flattening the tech stack in drug discovery and manufacturing.

But synbio alone cannot transform the existing paradigm from drug discovery to drug creation. One more critical ingredient is needed to reduce preclinical development times and increase the clinical probability of success: artificial intelligence.

Read the full Opinion article here —>

Sean McClain will be sharing more of his insights in a keynote at this year’s SynBioBeta conference— join us here!

Spotlight On: Protein Therapeutics

Synbio therapies are often only thought of as cell and gene therapies or nucleic acid modalities like mRNA. Protein therapeutics, once a niche modality, can now provide more complex and advanced functions than traditional small molecules. These therapies can reach far more specific targets than small molecules, have a reduced immunogenicity, and produce less adverse or fewer side effects. 

Synbio technology has enhanced protein therapeutic technology even further. Meet some of the most exciting synbio companies making waves in this space:

• AI Proteins is harnessing the power of synthetically designed proteins to cure diseases.

• GRO Biosciences: GRObio’s groundbreaking science expands the amino acid alphabet to deliver on the promise of protein-based therapies.

• Evozyne combines the principles of evolution and deep learning technology to make advanced-functioning novel proteins today that would otherwise take nature millions of years to create.

• Lumen Bioscience’s patented technology allows us to use the well-known food algae spirulina to deliver therapeutic proteins.

• Pfenex is leveraging an extensive experience in protein therapeutics toward the development of transformative medicines.

• Neoleukin Therapeutics is a pioneer in de novo protein development, leveraging computational methods to create new therapies.

• NanoSyrinx is a discovery stage synthetic biology company creating a next-generation platform technology for the targeted intracellular delivery of biological molecules.

• Manifold Bio is transforming drug discovery into measurement-driven drug design.

• Laronde is advancing eRNA-based therapeutics to enable more predictable and impactful medicines for the world.

• Enlaza Therapeutics is developing first-in-class covalent protein therapeutics to transform the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases.

• 1910 Genetics integrates AI, computation and biological automation to accelerate the design of small molecule and protein therapeutics.

News from the Community:

• Last edition, Behzad Mahdavi of Ginkgo, wrote an in-depth opinion on how synbio can lower the cost of novel, life-changing therapeutics. Shortly after, the New York Times covered the current therapeutic impact and prohibitive costs of breakthrough drugs: The Medicine is a Miracle But Only If You Can Afford It

• ARPA-H officially launches– ARPA-H announced a series of opportunities that serve the agency’s mission of accelerating better health outcomes, including support of the Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative. Renee Wegrzyn, director of ARPA-H, will be opening the SynBioBeta 2023 conference! ARPA-H is launching a national competition on Polyplexus to identify revolutionary, evidence-based ideas to transform health and improve patient outcomes in the U.S. 

• MHRA, the UK therapeutics regulatory agency, announced its most significant regulatory updates in 20 years.

• Researchers reprogram cancer cells into macrophages to stimulate anti-cancer immune response. 

• Synlogic announces positive data from the company’s Phase 2 Synpheny-1 study for phenylketonuria (PKU), and clinical data and preclinical data related to its homocystinuria (HCU) program.

• A new control switch could make RNA therapies easier to program. Using an RNA sensor, scientists have designed a new way to trigger cells to turn on a synthetic gene. Their technique could make it possible to create targeted therapies for cancer by ensuring that synthetic genes are activated only in specific cells.

• CARGO Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing a next generation of CAR T-cell therapies for cancer, announced the close of a $200 million oversubscribed and upsized Series A financing.

• Sanofi is betting on the potential of AI to transform drug discovery, and they recently signed a $1.2 billion biobucks research collaboration with San Francisco-based Atomwise.

• Can BiologIC’s Biocomputer Help Bring Biomanufacturing To Space? BiologIC Technologies, a company out of Cambridge, UK, wants to bring disruptive innovation to biomanufacturing with the world's first biocomputer

• Moderna and Life Edit Therapeutics look to speed up gene editing therapies. The goal is to develop curative therapies for some of the most challenging genetic diseases.

Have news you want to share with the community? Reach out to us at humanhealth@synbiobeta.com 

Until next time, 

-Fiona Mischel

Director, Human Health Content and Innovation

SynBioBeta

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