Elena Viboch

Love this Andrei Georgescu, Ph.D. “Success, to me, looks like Vivodyne becoming the modern infrastructure for drug programs that seek to eradicate the extremely burdensome diseases of today, like fibrosis, cancers, inflammatory disease, autoimmunity... I see Vivodyne as the fundamental infrastructure needed to drive successful new therapies for such complex diseases that human trial-and-error cannot solve quickly enough.”

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At Milton Point Partners, we believe the best healthcare companies don’t just plan for growth, they plan for the outcome. Starting with the exit in mind sharpens strategy, clarifies value drivers, and helps avoid costly value leakage along the way. Whether it’s aligning on the right valuation metrics, understanding capital efficiency, or resisting short-term decisions that cap upside, discipline early creates leverage later. Build with the end in mind and you’ll raise and exit on your terms.

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Med Tech in Focus  Potential Cure for Pancreatic Cancer Using Antibodies Researchers at Northwestern University discovered how pancreatic cancer “hides” from the immune system and have discovered an antibody that blocks the disguise and recharges the immune system to attack those cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat, has a five-year survival rate of only 13% and doesn’t respond well to immune-based or other therapies. The researchers discovered that pancreatic cancer cells hide behind a sugar-based surface coating that mimics healthy cells and thereby escape detection. After identifying the mechanism behind the false signal, they screened thousands of cells to find one that blocked this deception. In animal studies, the antibodies restored immune activity and slowed tumor growth. By using the novel antibodies along with existing chemotherapy and immunotherapies it’s hoped that patients could see full remission. Further, the scientists are researching whether the same sugar-coat disguises are seen in other hard-to-treat cancers such as glioblastoma and other diseases where the immune system may be “misled” by sugar coatings.   VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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The role of the Chief Commercial Officer in investor-backed Healthcare and Life Sciences businesses is changing - and fast. In this new blog, my colleagues Pam Zients and Kassandra Keller explore what investors should be looking for in today’s CCOs and how commercial leaders can make the biggest impact. https://lnkd.in/eRgSxpNC

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The number one reason life sciences ventures fall apart is: 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Last week I posted a framework to assess business viability (the 'LIFE' framework) - today we're deep diving on the first letter, "L" = 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. We've all heard it 759644858 times, "the team is everything" (said so often, we're desensitised). Setting aside obvious dealbreakers (toxic leadership, misaligned incentives, etc.) there are dynamics that subtly 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: one founder owns the science, one owns the business. However, specialisation without 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 is where 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀. When each founder doesn't appreciate/ understand the 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, the leadership dynamic becomes adversarial and combative, meaning decisions take forever and often end in deadlock. And let me tell you - 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. The best founding teams: → The scientist trusts that taking (measured) risks, will serve the business → The business lead understands the science so keeps the strategy progressive, yet protective → Both founders have co-created a shared vision that anchors every downstream decision, respect exists even when disagreements arise The science-business relationship is a leading indicator of what follows: culture, capital efficiency, and ultimately, whether a promising molecule ever becomes a medicine. Did I miss anything? What would you add to the red/green flag lists? #BiotechVC #LifeScienceVC #lifescienceinvesting #ScienceLeadership #HealthcareInvesting

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**Reflections on Leadership Transitions in Venture Capital** Vijay Pande's departure as founding partner of a16z Bio+ Health marks a significant moment in the venture capital landscape. His leadership helped raise nearly $12 billion across 4 funds, positioning a16z as a key player in the bio and health sectors. This transition reminds us of the importance of adaptive leadership and evolving investment strategies in a rapidly changing market. How do you approach leadership transitions within your investment teams? #investing #innovation #familyoffice #finance

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In radiopharm (as we also saw with C&GT), getting to efficacy is only half of the battle. Startups and acquirers must think about the solution holistically and inclusive of isotope production and distribution.

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We launched Infinity Bio, Inc. with global ambition. After two years of brilliant execution by Joy M. Nassif, H. Benjamin Larman, and the whole Infinity Bio team, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Illumina Ventures through our Series A financing. Infinity is just getting started in building the data infrastructure to help detect and build cures for autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. We are thrilled for this next chapter! PTX Capital, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV), Blackbird Laboratories, TCP Venture Capital, Malek Faham, Matt Tremblay, Ph.D., Caroline Popper M.D. MPH J.D., Herman Scholtz, Bill Campbell https://lnkd.in/eacfmp54

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Biotech investing at the early stage isn't for everyone. It requires long views, technical patience, and a deep conviction that science-led platforms can reshape clinical practice. But for those of us who’ve built companies through long go-to-product cycles, we know that timing, platform leverage, and disciplined delivery are what create meaningful value inflections. At Peptinovo, we’ve deliberately engineered our path around that logic. Our PALM platform is not a molecule bet. It's a smart drug delivery system designed to enhance a broad range of proven chemotherapies. By targeting the SRB1 receptor, expressed in all solid tumors, PALM delivers cytotoxics directly to where cancer grows, reducing systemic exposure and improving patient quality of life. We’ve developed five PALM+chemo candidates so far (ovarian, prostate, breast, lung, pancreas), secured and filed 11-country IP coverage through 2045, and fully set up cGMP manufacturing. First-in-human trials are on pace to start by the end of this year, 2025. And we've hit every milestone and deadline on the way. This is not speculative biotech. This is a drug delivery platform with clear clinical logic, a de-risked regulatory path (based on known chemo payloads). The team has created 10 biotech startups from idea to market. Four were acquired by major pharma and the other are ongoing companies. The current open Series A round stands at $9.8M secured out of $14M. Series A valuation is $19M pre-money. Lead investor just reinvested another $1.0M The next major inflection? We are about to begin human trials by year end, at which point we will start the next round, so it’s a perfect time to join at a very attractive $19M premoney valuation. The landscape is shifting. Would you be open to a short chat about this round’s structure? The Patient is Waiting ##Peptinovo #SmartDrugDelivery #ClinicalInnovation #DeepTech #AdvancedManufacturing #Founder #EarlyStageOpportunity #VentureGrowth

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