De-Risking the Drug Development Process With: Krish Ramadurai
Krish Ramadurai, Partner at AIX Ventures, outlines his strategy for selecting drug assets in a crowded and competitive pharma landscape. He emphasizes starting with deep conversations with key opinion leaders (KOLs) to identify areas that have broad consensus among industry experts. Ramadurai recommends diversifying assets to avoid over-reliance on a single program, advocating for at least one clinical-stage asset supported by multiple preclinical backups. He also stresses the importance of founder engagement and having clear out-licensing strategies for assets that don’t align with the founder’s passion or company focus.
Episode Contents:
About the Guest
Krish Ramadurai is a Partner at AIX Ventures, investing in AI-driven biotech and pharma innovations. Learn more at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishramadurai/
Key Takeaways
- Engaging multiple KOLs ensures pharma alignment and reduces risk.
- Diversifying assets avoids total dependency on one program.
- Narratives matter for out-licensing assets founders don’t prioritize.
Transcript Summary
How do you pick the right drug assets?
Start by talking to pharma insiders and KOLs to identify areas of interest. Aim for four to five KOLs at major institutions to agree on an asset before investing.
Why is diversification important?
Relying on one asset is risky. Multiple clinical and preclinical assets provide backup if one fails.
What’s the role of the founder?
Founders should be passionate about selected assets or have a clear out-licensing strategy for those they don’t prioritize.
More Topics
- AI in the Healthcare Industry
- AI and Medical Innovation
- Healthcare Ethics and Policy
- AI in Patient Care
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About the Series
AI and Healthcare—with Mika Newton and Dr. Sanjay Juneja is an engaging interview series featuring world-renowned leaders shaping the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine.
Dr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine.
Mika Newton is an expert in healthcare data management, with a focus on data completeness and universality. Mika is on the editorial board of AI in Precision Oncology and is no stranger to bringing transformative technologies to market and fostering innovation.