Our guest today is Gaurav Byagathvalli, a Geoge Tech alum and the CEO of Piezo Therapeurtics, a company developing an innovative nucleic acid delivery platform for DNA and mRNA vaccines. Instead of using complicated equipment they use simplified circuits, analogous to what is in a lighter, to product the same impulse. They then use microneedles, which function as electrodes, to conduct those pulses into your skin resulting in highly targeted, localized delivery.
You’ll learn:
What he learned about American healthcare by living in India, and why that motivated him to get into the industry
His motivation to create something low cost, accessible, and useful for other things
What the electropen mechanism is and how enables higher response for the DNA or mRNA vaccine delivered
The disadvantages of the lipid nanoparticle delivery system – manufacturing, synthesis, delivery, side effects
How vaccine hesitancy can be improved by this innovation
How they believe the FDA will respond
What applications the electropen may have outside of vaccines
How he raised $2MM of funding in a difficult year and the tips he has for others looking to do the same
How he sees the future of the Atlanta biotech community
And it doesn’t stop there – listen to the whole show!
About Gaurav Byagathvalli
Gaurav is a co-inventor of Piezo’s novel platform. Prior to Piezo, he’s served in a variety of roles at Moelis and Company, Capital One, and Elevance Health. He’s a published scientist with a background in vaccine delivery and synthetic biology. He holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website and podcast are purely informational and not considered investment recommendations. Tim Dougherty’s participation in Biotech Insights is separate and apart from his role as an investment advisor representative. Nothing contained herein may be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of any of the companies discussed. Tim Dougherty has no financial affiliation with any of the companies mentioned in this communication. Tim Dougherty makes no representation that the information conveyed in this material is accurate and is under no obligation to update this information as changes occur.
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