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What does it take to improve a drug discovery success rate of less than 1%? In this episode, Yann Gaston-Mathé explains how AI, robotics, and laboratory automation are being combined to accelerate the development of new medicines and tackle some of the industry's most challenging drug targets.

This week on Leading Beyond The Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Yann Gaston-Mathé, CEO and Co-Founder of Iktos, with more than 20 years of experience spanning pharmaceutical R&D, data science, IT, strategic consulting, entrepreneurship, and AI-driven drug discovery.

In this episode, Yann Gaston-Mathé covers:

• How Iktos is tackling the inefficiency of small molecule drug discovery and why overall success rates remain below 1%

• What differentiates Iktos from other AI drug discovery companies by combining generative AI with laboratory automation and robotic synthesis

• The journey from large pharmaceutical organisations into entrepreneurship and the founding story behind Iktos in 2016

• How AI, predictive modelling, robotics and iterative design-make-test cycles are transforming drug discovery workflows

• Why the next frontier for AI in healthcare is improving clinical success rates and reducing development timelines that currently take 8 to 10 years

Yann provides a practical perspective on where AI is creating real value in drug discovery, the importance of combining software with experimental science, and why human expertise remains central to the future of pharmaceutical innovation.

If you're interested in AI, biotechnology, drug discovery, pharmaceutical R&D, laboratory automation, or the future of healthcare innovation, this episode offers valuable insight from someone building and deploying these technologies today.

Throughout the conversation, Lawrence and Yann discuss the evolution of @Iktos, collaborations across the pharmaceutical industry, and lessons learned from working with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artotalent

Yann Gaston-Mathé

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yann-gaston-mathe-9850a21/

Lawrence Rose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and episode highlights

01:37 Welcome to Leading Beyond The Lab

07:19 The founding story behind Iktos

08:05 Career journey through pharma, consulting, IT and data science

10:09 Leaving large pharmaceutical companies for entrepreneurship

11:10 How the Iktos platform works

16:41 Automation and scaling medicinal chemistry workflows

22:03 Measuring impact, speed and efficiency in drug discovery

26:19 Competition within AI drug discovery

27:30 The future of AI in pharmaceutical R&D

29:35 Building strategic pharmaceutical partnerships

30:52 Evaluating new collaboration opportunities

32:18 Working across global cultures and organisations

33:35 Creating value through partnerships

35:45 Scaling resources and managing growth

41:09 Challenges in building automated laboratory infrastructure

42:12 Will AI replace chemists?

45:29 Will AI ever fully replace human scientists?

47:59 What continues to motivate Yann Gaston-Mathé

49:24 Advice for the next generation of scientists

50:38 Science, technology and the future workforce

51:06 Closing remarks

#LeadingBeyondTheLab #ARTOTalent #DrugDiscovery #ArtificialIntelligence #Biotech #Pharmaceuticals #LifeSciences #LaboratoryAutomation #MachineLearning #HealthcareInnovation #DrugDevelopment #GenerativeAI

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Can targeting IRhom2 unlock a new generation of autoimmune disease treatments?

This week on Leading Beyond The Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Jan Poth and Jens Ruhe of SciRhom, discussing a new therapeutic approach focused on IRhom2 and TACE inhibition in autoimmune disease.

The conversation explored the scientific origins of the company, lessons from failed inflammatory pathway inhibitors, and the challenge of building a biotech platform in one of the toughest funding environments in recent years.

In this episode, Jan Poth and Jens Ruhe cover:

• Why previous TACE inhibitors failed and how targeting IRhom2 could offer a more selective approach to inflammatory diseases

• The scientific breakthrough that convinced the founding team IRhom2 could be druggable despite industry skepticism at the time (Carl Blobel, Hospital for Special Surgery)

• Why combining multiple inflammatory pathways may be necessary to move beyond the efficacy ceiling seen with TNF and IL-6 inhibitors

• How the company secured an oversubscribed Series A after speaking with more than 150 investors over two years, with backing from Wellington Partners, Hadean Ventures, Kurma Partners, Andera Partners, MIG Capital, Bayern Kapital, and HTGF

• The roadmap for S878, expectations for the upcoming Phase I trial in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and the long-term ambition to become the defining company in IRhom2 therapeutics.

This episode offers a detailed look into modern biotech company building, translational immunology, and the realities of advancing a first-in-class therapeutic platform from concept to clinic. If you are interested in autoimmune disease innovation, antibody development, biotech financing, or platform company strategy, this conversation is well worth your time.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artotalent

Jan Poth & Jens Ruhe

CEO & COO at SciRhom

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-poth-a79424136/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-ruhe/

Lawrence Rose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to immune system complexity and inflammatory disease challenges

01:38 Podcast introduction and overview of SciRhom’s approach

02:30 The origins of targeting IRhom2 and TACE

05:20 The founding of SciRhom and early scientific conviction

06:39 Discovering IRhom2 surface accessibility with Carl Blobel

08:26 Combining inflammatory pathway inhibition

12:14 Complexity of the immune system and autoimmune disease treatment

14:20 Why single pathway inhibitors reach an efficacy ceiling

18:15 Raising a successful Series A in a difficult biotech market

20:23 Overview of lead candidate S878 and upcoming Phase I trial

24:15 Fundraising challenges and early investor support from HTGF

31:47 Key milestones and expectations for Phase I readouts

34:22 Building a pipeline around IRhom2 biology

35:24 Balancing speed, capital efficiency, and scientific rigor

39:55 Founder dynamics and collaborative decision-making

43:12 Bringing commercial development expertise into biotech strategy

49:11 Balancing patient impact with commercial success

49:45 Long-term vision for SciRhom and IRhom2 therapeutics

52:30 AI, technology, and reducing drug development costs

55:11 Shared mission and improving outcomes for autoimmune disease patients

56:34 Closing remarks

#LeadingBeyondTheLab #ARTOTalent #Biotech #Immunology #AutoimmuneDisease #DrugDevelopment #AntibodyTherapeutics #RheumatoidArthritis #LifeSciences

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