Ep. 28: Likarda Founders on Hydrogel Delivery of Cell and Biologic Therapies - Lisa Stehno Bittel, PhD & Karthik Ramachandran (Likarda Founders)
In this episode, VibeCast host Ray Dogum speaks with Lisa Stehno Bittel, PhD and Karthik Ramachandran about Hydrogel Delivery of Cell and Biologic Therapies. Key Moments: 00:00:06 - Introduction to Likarda and its Co-founders, 00:03:05 - Motivation and Early Success of Likarda, 00:08:49 - Pivot Towards Cell Therapies, 00:11:05 - Innovation in Hydrogel Delivery Systems, 00:12:58 - Advantages of Hydrogels for Drug Delivery, 00:15:05 - Hydrogel Technology for Drug Delivery, 00:17:07 - Differentiation from Other Hydrogel Companies, 00:18:35 - Longevity and Duration of Hydrogel Delivery, 00:19:42 - Raising Funds and Finding Investors, 00:25:07 - Future Plans and Inflection Points, 00:30:21 - The Challenges of Cell Delivery, 00:31:19 - The Importance of Hydrogels, 00:33:19 - Potential Applications for Hydrogels, 00:34:24 - Hydrogels in Space, 00:35:11 - Maintaining Company Culture, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guest Bios: Lisa Stehno Bittel, PhD began her career in health care as a physical therapist. With more than 25 years of research experience in the fields of cell biology and diabetes, she has more than 80 publications in scientific journals and received more than $9 million in grant funding for her research. She is a co-inventor on 9 US patents (issued and pending) and multiple international patents. Dr. Karthik Ramachandran is Chief Business Officer & Co-Founder of Likarda, a biotech focused on developing superior cell delivery technologies to enable cell therapies to treat some of the world’s most devastating diseases. Karthik Ramachandran, a Colorado native, pursued his passion for engineering, medicine and business at the University of Kansas at Lawrence receiving a PhD in bioengineering in 2012 with a focus in tissue engineering. He is an inventor of several patented technologies and has authored a number of peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Ramachandran pursued his entrepreneurial interests, and together with his graduate mentor, Dr. Lisa Stehno-Bittel, founded Likarda in Kansas City in 2012.
Guest Links: Lisa Stehno Bittel, PhD Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-stehno-bittel-091a0360/ Karthik Ramachandran Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kansasbioengineer/ Likarda Website: https://likarda.com/ About VibeCast VibeCast is our weekly informational podcast and content series exploring the hottest topics in drug development and Web3 with some of the dynamic people that make up the Vibe community. VibeCast is a collection of long-form and short-form video content intended to help our community learn about the current opportunities and challenges in biotech fundraising and community engagement innovation. Guests will include biotech founders, regulatory experts, drug development executives, blockchain technologists, web3 community builders, patient community advocates, and many other Vibe Bio community members seeking to accelerate the development of breakthrough treatments. Follow Vibe Bio's Socials: https://twitter.com/VibeBio https://www.linkedin.com/company/vibe-bio/ https://www.instagram.com/vibebiotechnology/ https://www.tiktok.com/@vibebio https://www.facebook.com/VibeBiotechnology/ Disclaimer: VibeCast is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes, and no information or opinions shared constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners acknowledge they are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The podcast is for private non-commercial use and the statements of our guests reflect their personal views only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any agency, organization, or company that they work for or are affiliated with.
