Start / The Biotech Startups Podcast / %f0%9f%a7%acsurviving the biotech funding crunch insider strategies samir khleif part 4 4

🧬Surviving the Biotech Funding Crunch: Insider Strategies | Samir Khleif (Part 4/4)

29 min • 14 augusti 2025

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.

As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.

"The whole environment of the company is about discovery and innovation, so it's really buzzing with energy."

In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Samir Khleif reveals how he took Georgiamune from vision to reality—building a top-tier team, advancing a pipeline of novel drugs, and keeping innovation at the company’s core.

Host Jon Chee explores what sets Georgiamune apart, as Samir opens up about navigating the pitfalls of fundraising, the shift from academia to entrepreneurship, and why transparency and self-awareness are crucial for success in biotech leadership.

Key topics covered:

Building a Discovery-Driven Team: Assembling top talent to fuel innovation
Going Beyond the Surface: Focusing on breakthrough science, not recycled ideas
Market Realities & Fundraising: Navigating tough markets and finding the right investors
Internal vs External Development: Doubling down on in-house strengths
Leadership in Biotech: Leading with self-awareness, curiosity, and collaboration

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.

Subscribe to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4

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

Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/

Find our guest, Samir Khleif, at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-khleif-4280b29/

Website: http://www.georgiamune.com/

Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:

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

Learn more about Excedr:

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

Website: https://www.excedr.com

Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:

Website: https://flow.page/kyojin

Resources & Articles:

Autoimmune Disease and Immune System Modulation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27312159/

What Corporate Investors Look for in Life Sciences Startups https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-corporate-investors-look-for-in-life-sciences-startups

How to Prepare for Pre-Seed & Seed Funding https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-prepare-for-pre-seed-seed-funding

Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:

Georgiamune: https://www.georgiamune.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:42 Building the Early Team & IP Portfolio

04:16 Why 85% of Cancer Patients Still Don’t Respond to Immunotherapy

06:01 Internal VS External Drug Development: Key Considerations

07:24 Surprising Lessons Moving from Academia & FDA to Startup CEO

09:29 “Phone-a-Friend” Mentorship Strategy for Tough Decisions

10:11 Fundraising Philosophy in a Volatile Market

12:56 Aligning Investors Through Openness and Transparency

15:41 Georgiamune’s Culture of Discovery and Innovation

19:08 Advancing 11 Drugs in 5 Years—3 Already in the Clinic

26:12 Outro

The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.

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