In this episode, VibeCast host Ray Dogum speaks with Michelle C. Werner about how Alltrna is advancing to clinical trials a new tRNA medicine to universally treat Stop Codon Disease. Stop Codon Disease is a term that encompasses thousands of rare and common human diseases driven by the same underlying mutation -- premature termination codons (also called nonsense mutations). Approximately 10% of all people with a genetic disease have Stop Codon Disease, representing approximately 30 million people worldwide. Because of the unique biology of tRNA, Alltrna has the opportunity to scale a whole new field of genetic medicines and build a new future for patients.

Guest Bio:
Michelle C. Werner is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years in the industry spanning both commercial and research & development (R&D) responsibilities. Prior to Alltrna, Michelle served as Worldwide Franchise Head, Solid Tumors at Novartis Oncology, where she was responsible for delivering the disease area strategies across multiple tumors and led business development efforts resulting in a doubling of long-term portfolio value for the franchise. Previous to Novartis, Michelle was a senior leader at AstraZeneca and as Global Franchise Head in Hematology, she was critical in launching multiple indications worldwide for CALQUENCE®. Prior to this, Michelle was Head of US Oncology, where she led the business through dramatic growth in both team and revenue through eight-plus product launches. Previous to AstraZeneca, Michelle was with Bristol-Myers Squibb for 10 years in various positions of increasing responsibility including roles in sales, marketing, and market access in the US and UK, and above market in Europe (based in France) and global almost exclusively in oncology. Michelle started her professional career in R&D, working hands-on with patients at the Oncology Clinical Trials Unit at Harvard Medical School before moving into industry in clinical operations. Outside of her corporate responsibilities, Michelle is a wife and mother to three children and is a member of the rare disease community. She is currently serving a Board appointment for the non-profit organization Rare Disease Renegades, a purpose that fuels her passions both personally and professionally.

Guest Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-werner-7b30511/

Resource Links:
tRNA Animation Video: https://youtu.be/-X3ju_m1UGM
Alltrna Website: https://www.alltrna.com/
Alltrna Twitter: https://twitter.com/alltrna
Flagship Pioneering: https://www.flagshippioneering.com/
Defining Stop Codon Disease: https://www.flagshippioneering.com/stories/defining-stop-codon-disease-to-unify-treatment-for-thousands-of-conditions

The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:00 - Introduction,
00:01:02 - Michelle Werner's Career Path,
00:04:56 - Rare Disease Renegade,
00:08:23 - Flagship Pioneering,
00:12:00 - Challenges in Genetic R&D,
00:16:10 - The Potential of Genetic Driver Targeting
00:17:00 - Understanding the Role of tRNA
00:19:18 - Importance and Universality of tRNA
00:21:56 - Targeting Premature Termination Codons
00:26:33 - Alltrna's Advancement in tRNA Research
00:32:26 - The Potential of Basket Trials in Oncology Research,
00:34:21 - The Impact of Unified Clinical Trial Plans,
00:35:11 - The Funding Landscape in Biotech,
00:37:33 - Alltrna's Next Inflection Point,
00:39:33 - Building the Alltrna Team.

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 guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or company that they work for.