Unlocking Early-Stage Biotech: Dr Amir Zalcenstein on Transformative Science and Venture Capital

10/22/24 • 40 min

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs is joined by Dr Amir Zalcenstein, Managing Director of SYNthesis BioVentures. SYNthesis BioVentures is a registered early-stage venture Capital Limited partnerships fund, focused on early-stage therapeutics investing in projects from discovery through preclinical proof of concept and IND enabling studies.

Amir and the team are investing in small molecule therapeutics, biologics and cell and gene therapies for conditions with significant unmet need. Their aim, to accelerate the development of cutting-edge therapies and technologies, ultimately improving patient outcomes and delivering value to their investors.

Along with a PhD in molecular biology and an MBA, Amir has an extensive background in healthcare and international operations experience, having previously been head of business development for BiondVax, CEO of Amorphical and SoluBest, and a healthcare investment manager at OneVentures.

In this episode you will hear about:

How SYNthesis BioVentures is supporting early-stage research,
Opportunities to partner with overseas biotech firms and license underutilised, innovative therapies for western markets
The challenges of financing biotech innovations, and the role of crossover funds in bridging early-stage investments with public markets
The importance of smart collaboration, and the need for startups to assemble a varied and knowledgeable team.

Learn more about SYNthesis BioVentures

Updated version 05/08/22

In this episode you will hear about:

How SYNthesis BioVentures is supporting early-stage research,
Opportunities to partner with overseas biotech firms and license underutilised, innovative therapies for western markets
The challenges of financing biotech innovations, and the role of crossover funds in bridging early-stage investments with public markets
The importance of smart collaboration, and the need for startups to assemble a varied and knowledgeable team.

Learn more about SYNthesis BioVentures

Updated version 05/08/22

Previous Episode

Seeding success at WEHI Ventures: Funding early-stage research with Dr Anne-Laure Puaux

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs is joined by Dr Anne-Laure Puaux, inaugural CEO of WEHI Ventures and Head of Business Development at WEHI.

WEHI Ventures manages 66ten, a first of its kind pre-seed and seed strategic investment fund of $66 million, dedicated to ideas developed by or in collaboration with, WEHI. With a grand vision of investing $66 million over 10 years in groundbreaking medical innovations, 66ten is the largest internal pre-seed and seed fund created by an Australian medical research institute, established to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and commercial viability.

Before joining WEHI, Anne-Laure worked in Europe, US, Asia and Australia as part of biotech companies and multinational pharmaceutical companies such as GSK. Through these roles, she gained extensive global experience designing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing deals between academic research institutions, biotech companies, private investors and large multinational companies. She has also completed a PhD in Immunology and an MBA.

In this episode you will hear about:

How WEHI Ventures is focusing on turning early-stage discoveries into commercial successes, and its strategic management approach to high-risk, high reward projects that may be too risky or too early-stage for traditional investors
The importance of collaboration between academia and industry in translating early-stage discoveries into market-ready therapies
Anne-Laure’s insights into how Australia needs to strengthen its innovation ecosystem to catalyse biotech commercialisation
The strategic importance of mentorship when opportunities to explore different career pathways may be limited.

Learn more about WEHI Ventures
Learn about Dr Anne-Laure Puaux

Updated version 05/08/22

Next Episode

Beyond Opioids: Justin Zenanko’s Vision for Spinal Fusion and Chronic Pain Relief

In this episode of Med Tech Talks, Robert Klupacs is joined by Justin Zenanko, co-founder, CEO and president of SynerFuseTM, a medical device company based in the United States developing an innovative solution to reduce chronic back pain and improve patient quality of life.
Justin and his team have patented the SynerFuse e-TLIFTM procedure which aims to make traditional spine implant surgery more successful and cost effective by combining neuromodulation at the time surgeons are performing fusion back surgery. SynerFuse has completed a proof-of-concept study of 15 patients and they're coming up to a 12-month review of post-surgery results in October.

A certified public accountant, Justin has experience in corporate finance, entrepreneurship and startup development. He has previously led fundraising efforts resulting in $68 million of investment, including $34 million in angel funding and 34 million in Series A funding from a strategic investor.

In this episode you will hear about:

The global need to address opioid dependency by developing innovative drug-free treatments for chronic pain
How SynerFuse’s e-TLIF technology stimulates the dorsal root ganglion as part of spinal fusion surgery – a world-first approach
How Justin and his co-founders overcame skepticism from specialists and the challenges of the COVID pandemic to get FDA approval on a feasibility study
Why Justin has invested his own money into SynerFuse and his advice to other unconventional entrepreneurs.

Learn more about SynerFuse and the e-TLIF procedure.

Updated version 05/08/22