Lovisa Afzelius is an origination partner at Flagship Pioneering and the former SVP of Strategy & Operations at Flagship-founded Cogen Immune Medicines, now known as Repertoire Immune Medicines. A computational scientist by training, she has two decades of leadership experience and a passion for data-driven drug discovery, from early inception to clinical development across multiple therapeutic areas.

Previously, Lovisa built and led Pfizer’s systems immunology function and served as executive director of clinical programs. In this role, she launched several Phase II studies across autoimmune indications and as a member of the Inflammation & Immunology Research Unit leadership team, Lovisa co-managed the portfolio from early target discovery to Phase II clinical trials across all immunological assets. In addition, she served on Pfizer’s Worldwide R&D Data Strategy Committee.

In 2017, Lovisa co-founded Elsa.science, a digital health company in the rheumatoid arthritis space where she serves as chairman of the board. She also serves on the board of the Swedish New England Chamber of Commerce. Before moving to the US in 2013, Lovisa was CEO of BioChromix Pharma.

Lovisa began her career at AstraZeneca as Project Director, Global In Vitro Metabolism Leader and Computational Chemist across cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Lovisa has received numerous accolades for her work: she was included in the top 100 ​“most influential persons under age 40 in Sweden” by Affärsvärlden, and ​“scientist of tomorrow” at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ 30th anniversary. Lovisa received the Rosenön Award for best thesis of the year within the field of pharmacodynamics/​pharmacokinetics in Sweden.

Lovisa holds a Ph.D. in computational chemistry from Uppsala University, a Master of Science in integrative pharmacology from Gothenburg University as well as an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Theonie is a principal at Flagship Pioneering where she conceives, builds and grows the science, intellectual property and business strategy that form the foundation of Flagship’s next breakthrough startups. She co-founded Alltrna and serves as its chief innovation officer. 

Prior to joining Flagship, Theonie completed her graduate studies in cell and molecular biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focused on replication fork dynamics in the context of cancer development and therapeutics. Theonie has received several awards and has been granted multiple fellowships for her academic work, including an NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship. During her graduate studies, Theonie held multiple leadership positions on Executive and Curriculum Committees. She also completed a Wharton Business Foundations Specialization and was a mentor at the yearly Larta Institute NIH CAP FeedForward Sessions. 

Theonie is a Business Advisory Board member of the Harvard Institute for RNA Medicine and a member of the Bioscience & Investor Inclusion Group (BIIG) Diverse Talent Network Group. Theonie’s work has resulted in multiple pending patents and publications, including articles in Nature Biotechnology, Molecular Cell and Journal of Biological Chemistry.

91. tRNA therapies, Lovisa Afzelius, Founding CEO, Theonie Anastassiadis, Co-founder & CIO, Alltrna

Synopsis: 
In this episode of Biotech2050, host Alok Tayi engages in a profound conversation with Craig Chambliss, CEO and co-founder of Neurellis, delving into their strategic advancements in precision therapies for CNS diseases. Chambliss shares his journey, highlighting his finance and accounting background and pivotal roles in pharmaceutical companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and Alza Pharmaceuticals. His passion for impactful drug delivery technologies led to the launch of life-changing products, including an intranasal diazepam program for seizure emergencies, ultimately culminating in the founding of Neurellis in 2008. With the approval of their product Altoco in 2020, Neurellis addressed unmet needs in the epilepsy market, emphasizing the significance of a passionate team and a foundational product for successful clinical trials and market access. The conversation emphasizes the importance of precision therapies in the CNS space, collaboration for innovative solutions, and the potential of Neurellis' pipeline in addressing severe epileptic encephalopathies. Chambliss's insights into the strategic management of a biotech company, the utilization of platform technologies, and the evolving landscape of the biotech industry offer compelling takeaways for biotech executives seeking strategic insights. This episode provides a valuable opportunity to gain strategic insights into precision therapies for CNS diseases and the journey of a successful biotech company.

Biography:
Craig Chambliss’ 30-year tenure in the biopharma and drug delivery sectors has largely specialized in rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and epilepsy. As the co-founder, CEO, and President of Neurelis, he has orchestrated the company's growth, securing over $300M in funding and guiding its evolution into a fully integrated organization, spanning from early-stage development to commercialization.


Before his current role at Neurelis, Mr. Chambliss played a key part in reshaping NextWave Pharmaceuticals into a CNS-focused entity, serving as its Chief Business Officer. Under his leadership, NextWave secured $45M in Series C financing and was later acquired by Pfizer in a deal value exceeding $700M in 2012. Prior to NextWave, he also helped rebuild Questcor Pharmaceuticals as a CNS-focused organization, where he led commercial operations supporting the relaunch of Acthar® Gel for the treatment of a rare epilepsy disorder in pediatric patients.


Mr. Chambliss's pharmaceutical journey began in sales at Bristol Myers Squibb and continued through various roles at Alza Pharmaceuticals and Elan Pharmaceuticals. In 2001, he helped launch Xcel Pharmaceuticals, a CNS startup focusing on epilepsy treatment, leading to a successful acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals in 2005 for $280M. His academic foundation includes Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Accounting from Missouri State University.

Innovation in Precision Therapies for CNS Diseases, Craig Chambliss, Co-Founder and CEO, Neurelis

Biotech2050 Podcast is a think tank chronicling the disruptions changing the biotech industry over the next 50 years.

Innovation in Precision Therapies for CNS Diseases, Craig Chambliss, Co-Founder and CEO, Neurelis

Biotech2050 Podcast

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