Ep189: Marc Tessier-Lavigne on Reinventing Drug Discovery with AI

Xaira Therapeutics' CEO Marc Tessier-Lavigne discusses his career, ranging from neuroscience research to executive leadership in the biotech industry, and the company's AI-driven approach to drug discovery. He recounts his academic journey, influenced by philosophy and physics, leading to neuroscience. Xaira aims to transform drug R&D by applying AI to target selection, drug design, and patient identification. A key strategy involves building causal models of biology through large-scale perturbation data, like Perturb-Seq, to distinguish disease drivers from passengers. Tessier-Lavigne envisions AI cutting drug development timelines in half and significantly increasing clinical trial success rates, ushering in an era of abundant medicines.

Outlines

Part 1: Introduction, Background

Part 2: Career Evolution, Leadership

Part 3: Xaira, AI Methodology

Part 4: Progress, Future Outlook

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The Long Run with Luke Timmerman

Part 1: Introduction, Background

Xaira Therapeutics: Designing Protein Drugs with AI and Biological Data

Marc Tessier-Lavigne's Early Life: Military Family and French Education

From Physics to Neuroscience: A Pivotal Shift at Oxford

Influential Philosophers and Discovering a Fascination with Brain Wiring

Part 2: Career Evolution, Leadership

Postdoctoral Work and the Desire to Apply Neuroscience Research

Transition to Biotech and Leadership at Genentech

Academia, Biotech Boards, and the Stanford Investigation

Part 3: Xaira, AI Methodology

Joining Xaira: AI's Transformative Potential in Drug Discovery

Xaira's Platform: Designing Antibodies for Hard-to-Drug Targets

Target Discovery: Building Causal Models of Biology with Perturb-Seq

Part 4: Progress, Future Outlook

Progress at Xaira: Molecular Design, Therapeutic Programs, and Data Sharing

The Future of Drug R&D: AI and the Promise of Abundant Medicines

Ep189: Marc Tessier-Lavigne on Reinventing Drug Discovery with AI

The Long Run with Luke Timmerman

Part 1: Introduction, Background

00:01Xaira Therapeutics: Designing Protein Drugs with AI and Biological Data

Xaira Therapeutics: Designing Protein Drugs with AI and Biological Data

03:40Marc Tessier-Lavigne's Early Life: Military Family and French Education

Marc Tessier-Lavigne's Early Life: Military Family and French Education

07:11From Physics to Neuroscience: A Pivotal Shift at Oxford

From Physics to Neuroscience: A Pivotal Shift at Oxford

13:34Influential Philosophers and Discovering a Fascination with Brain Wiring

Influential Philosophers and Discovering a Fascination with Brain Wiring

Part 2: Career Evolution, Leadership

19:22Postdoctoral Work and the Desire to Apply Neuroscience Research

Postdoctoral Work and the Desire to Apply Neuroscience Research

27:20Transition to Biotech and Leadership at Genentech

Transition to Biotech and Leadership at Genentech

33:08Academia, Biotech Boards, and the Stanford Investigation

Academia, Biotech Boards, and the Stanford Investigation

Part 3: Xaira, AI Methodology

39:17Joining Xaira: AI's Transformative Potential in Drug Discovery

Joining Xaira: AI's Transformative Potential in Drug Discovery

45:44Xaira's Platform: Designing Antibodies for Hard-to-Drug Targets

Xaira's Platform: Designing Antibodies for Hard-to-Drug Targets

52:29Target Discovery: Building Causal Models of Biology with Perturb-Seq

Target Discovery: Building Causal Models of Biology with Perturb-Seq

Part 4: Progress, Future Outlook

1:00:10Progress at Xaira: Molecular Design, Therapeutic Programs, and Data Sharing

Progress at Xaira: Molecular Design, Therapeutic Programs, and Data Sharing

1:07:15The Future of Drug R&D: AI and the Promise of Abundant Medicines

The Future of Drug R&D: AI and the Promise of Abundant Medicines