ND Biosciences: The Venture Leader Biotech developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases

"We have developed novel patented technologies that allow for the first time to reproduce the biochemical, structural, and functional properties of pathological protein aggregates, as observed in brains of patients suffering from NDs."

Whom does your product or solution help, and how?
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, have devastating effects on millions of patients worldwide, and they are on the rise due to the lack of effective disease-modifying therapies. This does not only have devastating effects on individuals, families and societies, but will also entail a considerable economic burden, expected to reach ~$1 trillion/year in the USA alone. Based on 15 years of research at the EPFL, we have developed novel patented technologies that allow for the first time to reproduce the biochemical, structural, and functional properties of pathological protein aggregates, as observed in the brains of patients suffering from NDs. Whereas previously applied drug-discovery programs have relied on platforms that fall short in accurately reproducing pathogenic proteins and processes implicated in NDs, our platforms more accurately reproduce these aspects, therefore enabling more precise development of antigens for drug discovery, and more translationally-relevant assessment of candidate efficacy in pre-clinical models. As such, ND Biosciences has now undertaken an unprecedented approach based on its novel platforms, and it has already identified three lead therapeutic antibodies demonstrating superior properties and efficacy compared to previous biologics that have failed in clinical trials.

 

How do you think the Venture Leaders roadshow will help you achieve your vision?
Our selection into this flagship program happened at the ideal time, as we are now launching our seed financing round to enable the development of our main therapeutic leads, as well as to further develop our platforms to enable strategic partnerships. This roadshow will provide us with a unique opportunity to initiate contact and interactions with key US investors, learn about the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Boston, and network and receive valuable feedback and advice from leading experts, coaches, and peers from the Swiss Biotech Startup team.

What excites you most about your work right now?
In addition to my joy in leading R&D, it has been very exciting to be part of a fantastic team of builders and to overcome together different challenges, as well as to collectively achieve important milestones that became more-and-more complex as we progressed. It has been an extremely rich learning experience with different competencies that I learned on the go at every stage. I now particularly look forward to further stepping out of my “scientific” comfort zone while entering fundraising mode, aspiring that this would provide me a thorough 360 view and experience in what it takes to build and develop an early-stage biotech company from A to Z. 

How did you go about building your team?
ND Biosciences was founded by Prof. Hilal Lashuel, associate professor at the EPFL, and myself. Prof. Lashuel had the vision of translating many of the technologies and platforms that had been developed at his lab over the past 15 years into new platforms for drug and biomarker discovery. As I had developed one of these platforms during my PhD, namely the first preclinical model reproducing early stages of protein aggregation in neurons,  I was excited to join forces with Prof. Lashuel and to lead the translation of these models in the context of ND Biosciences. Following the kickstart of our operations, we were fortunate to meet and recruit fantastic fellow scientists, interns, and team members (mostly from the very rich talent pool of the Swiss Health Valley), who possess complementary expertise, and who share our vision and determination to bring new solutions for neurodegenerative diseases. 

What are your team’s key achievements to date?
So far, we have been able to raise ~2.5 M CHF in non-dilutive funding from different scientific research grants that have enabled us to translate and optimize our discovery platforms, various collaborations and contracts with leading pharma and biotech companies that have validated the value of our technologies and through the support of the local Swiss startup ecosystem which has supported different aspects of our business development activities. Altogether, this has enabled us to set up our main discovery platforms at our laboratories at Biopole, assemble and train the right R&D team, and screen and identify our main therapeutic hits. During this process, we also completed our licensing agreement with the EPFL, obtained our first patent in the US, and are currently preparing to file 3 new patents to protect our main antibody hits.
 

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"I try to be persistent in achieving the main clear goals that are relevant for each stage of my own life, thereby creating my own path that I can look back at with pride."

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Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
“Treat others the way you like (and accept) to be treated, and wish for others what you wish for yourself”. This principle has guided many of my decisions and relationships throughout my life, and I also applied it in the context of building ND Biosciences. It makes taking tough, and sometimes unconventional decisions easier, and allows one to be more receptive to other’s comments or requests as you would always put yourself in the other party’s shoes. It also deters injustice, ensures that you treat other parties with respect, and usually fosters a collaborative atmosphere, thereby ensuring that what you build has a solid foundation for the future. I strongly believe that the long-term gains of such a “fair-play” approach outweigh by far possible short-term small gains that one can get by constantly “squeezing” other parties and that what goes around always comes around.

Who inspires you and why?
I have been always inspired by self-built successful individuals who are persistent enough to establish what they aim for in life. Thinking about it now, I realize that my sources of inspiration have changed as I developed, depending on what I perceived as “success” or "of importance" at each stage. After coming to the understanding that life is not perfect, and neither are any of the actors playing it, and that success in one aspect of life usually comes at the expense of another, I now don’t necessarily strive to be inspired by or try to follow other people’s paths of success, but I rather try to be persistent in achieving the main clear goals that are relevant for each stage of my own life, thereby creating my own path that I can look back at with pride.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
The most challenging aspect is having the constant feeling of being responsible for almost anything that happens in the company, and the urge to always do whatever it takes to make sure the company meets its goals. You, therefore, have to quickly learn to be agile, to constantly step out of your comfort zone, and to wear whatever “hat” is needed to meet current goals and address imminent challenges. You are also always expected to have “an answer” or solution for your teammates, no matter how challenging the question might be. Ironically, this overall aspect is at the same time the most exciting part of being a founder, as it provides the ideal setting to continuously develop, learn, network, and gain new abilities, all of which would be very difficult to step into if you were in a different role. It also provides an unparalleled sense of reward and accomplishment, as you are always in the middle of all the action and get “dopamine spikes” every time a big, or even minor, milestone is hit!

What are you most proud of? 
Looking back, I am most proud of my ability to be resilient and persistent to achieve my goals, despite the different types of challenges that I have faced throughout my life. I have somehow developed the ability to focus on the target instead of the obstacle and to mostly see the cup half-full rather than empty, which has allowed me to carve my path towards my personal, educational, and professional goals so far. 

What is your favorite podcast and why? 
“The Diary of a CEO” by Steven Bartlett, as it usually provides a really good insight into the thought process underlying decision-making across different fields, and how these decisions affect businesses and implicated individuals. Steven’s questions are usually spot-on, mostly thought-provoking, and the guests typically have incredibly interesting stories, and back-stories, to tell.

What is one thing everyone should try at least once?
Lebanese food, once you try it, you’ll most-likely get hooked! 

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Venture Leaders Biotech 2023 were chosen from over 70 applications by a jury of investors and technology experts. The roadshow in Boston, the vibrant life science hub, provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to accelerate their startups' expansion in the US while expanding their professional network and profiting from workshops with investors and industry leaders. This year's Venture Leaders Biotech program is organized by Venturelab in partnership with Swissnex Boston and supported by Debiopharm, Novartis, EY - Ernst & Young, VISCHER, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, and the Swiss Biotech Association.