S3, E3: AltruBio’s Cinderella story from bankruptcy talks to a $225M Series B to tackle autoimmune diseases - with CEO Dr Judy Chou

In this episode, we look at AltruBio’s Cinderella story. While the company officially launched in 2020, its roots go back more than 20 years with a rich immunology pipeline stuck in “academic-style experiments.” On the brink of bankruptcy, a team of executives — including Dr. Judy Chou — stepped in to reboot the company, which has since raised nearly $300M.

Judy reflects on her journey from med school in Taiwan to Ivy League colleges and senior roles at AbbVie and Bayer before taking the leap into biotech leadership. We talk about AltruBio’s bold pivot into autoimmune disease, how Judy successfully convinced investors to save a sinking ship, her IPO visions for the company, and her mission to keep patients the priority. With Phase IIa ulcerative colitis data expected later this year, the question remains: will this Cinderella story endure?

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Judy’s journey: From to Ivy League and Big pharma all the way to biotech CEO
08:00 – Rebooting AltruBio: AB Genomics, rebrand, and pivot
13:00 – Near-bankruptcy and the $63M Series A lifeline
18:00 – Tough pipeline decisions: cutting staff, keeping one trial alive
19:00 – GVHD data: survival benefit from 28 days to 180+ days
20:00 – Building mode: second-generation antibody ALTB-268
22:00 – Fundraising in tough markets and the $225M Series B
25:00 – The unmet need in UC and promise of ALTB-268
28:00 – Expansion potential beyond UC: dermatology, rheumatology, GVHD
30:00 – Future outlook: IPO, partnerships, and Judy’s patient-first philosophy

For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: [email protected]

Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)