Invest Like The Best
Episode 406 Bridging Science, Medicine, and Returns
Invest Like The Best

Episode 406: Bridging Science, Medicine, and Returns

Invest Like The Best

Episode 406

Bridging Science, Medicine, and Returns

Tal Zaks is a Partner at OrbiMed. We cover the challenges that make investing in biotech different from fields like software, the importance of seeking lessons in your successes as well as failures, and why the pursuit of returns makes large-scale capital flows into science and innovation possible.

This episode is brought to you by:

Ramp. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Ramp is the fastest-growing FinTech company in history, and it’s backed by more of my favorite past guests (at least 16 of them!) than probably any other company I’m aware of. Go to Ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus.

AlphaSense. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Imagine completing your research five to ten times faster with search that delivers the most relevant results, helping you make high-conviction decisions with confidence. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at Alpha-Sense.com/Invest and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster.

Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. I think this platform will become the standard for investment managers, and if you run an investing firm, I highly recommend you find time to speak with them. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.

Show Notes:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best

(00:08:37) State of Medicine Today

(00:09:44) Investment and Innovation in Medicine

(00:13:14) Challenges in Biotech Investment

(00:17:18) Personalized Cancer Vaccines

(00:22:58) Investing in Biotech: Process and Considerations

(00:28:38) Multidisciplinary Approach in Pharma

(00:41:35) COVID-19 Vaccine Development

(00:46:27) Funding and Manufacturing Challenges

(00:48:01) Unprecedented Vaccine Safety Measures

(00:50:38) Public Perception and Trust Issues

(00:53:54) Future of mRNA and Nucleic Acid Medicines

(00:58:04) Personalized Medicine and Data Collection

(01:04:48) AI's Role in Healthcare

(01:08:34) Investment Strategies in Therapeutics

(01:14:57) The Human Element in Medical Innovation

(01:21:58) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done for Tal

Bridging Science, Medicine, and Returns

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Tal Zaks. Tal is a physician, scientist turned biotech executive and investor who served as Moderna's chief medical officer during their COVID-19 vaccine development, giving him an extraordinary perspective on one of modern medicine's pivotal moments. His combination of medical expertise, platform innovation experience, and investing acumen allows us to explore the interconnected challenges of turning scientific breakthroughs into viable medicines while generating venture scale returns.

We dive deep into the lessons from Moderna's mRNA platform, examine how emerging technologies might reshape drug development, and the fundamental question of what it means to make a healthy person healthier. For investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the future of medicine, this discussion provides a window into both the immense potential and profound challenges of advancing human health. Please enjoy my conversation with Tal Zaks.

Access the full transcript
Sign in or register to view episode transcripts.

Contact

Get in touch at help@joincolossus.com