In the fourth installment of our Beyond the Biotech series, meet Upendra Marathi, PhD, MBA, President & CEO of7 Hills Pharma，JLABS @ TMC和Blue Knight™Company。
How does your technology align with the mission of Blue Knight?
如果我们可以改善高危患者对疫苗的免疫反应怎么办？我们的技术与Blue Knight，旨在刺激可能改善健康安全的技术的创新和孵化，因为它为对公共卫生威胁的更快，灵活和有效的反应提供了潜力。7 Hills正在开发7HP349，这是一种一流的口服佐剂，可增强抗原特异性免疫反应。7HP349可以用作口服药物，以改善和加速任何商业批准的疫苗的免疫原性。
Barda通过Blue Knight计划的指导如何帮助您的公司加速？
通过Blue Knight计划，我们获得了资金来支持我们的JLABS空间，使7个山丘能够将我们的财务资源投资完成，以完成调查使用7HP349与COVID-19抗原的使用。在这些研究中，我们证明7HP349增加了抗体产生的速率和程度。这些数据构成了与Barda的TechWatch会议的基础，该会议导致了I期SBIR拨款，以进一步将7HP349作为低收入国家和中等收入国家的COVID-19疫苗接种方案的口服佐剂。
巴达的指导还有助于与与Covid-19疫苗接种有关的大型制药公司合作。
请告诉我们一个关于您自己的令人惊讶或有趣的事实（即，您有宠物吗？您是狂热的足球迷吗？您最喜欢的爱好是什么？您有最喜欢的家庭活动吗？）
I love horses and am an avid meditator!
Tell us the story behind the founding of your company. What’s the personal and scientific inspiration behind the founding (or your work with) this company?
一个患有难治性白血病的小男孩被送回家死于美国的癌症中心，因为该家庭没有足够的资金来支持脐带血移植。我们开始了7个山丘，以开发一种简单的低成本手段，以改善骨髓骨髓的血液衍生的干细胞归巢。事实证明，我们的铅化合物不仅可以改善干细胞的饲养，而且还改善了有效疫苗接种和癌症免疫疗法所需的细胞归巢。
How do you hope your start-up will impact or change the lives of patients?
7HP349 has the potential of making a global public health impact in augmenting COVID-19 and influenza vaccination for at-risk subjects, including the elderly and those suffering from diabetes.
What differentiates you from competitors?
7 Hills is developing novel systemic adjuvants for vaccination and targeting the activation of integrins essential for an antigen-specific immune response.
No two days are alike as a start-up founder – how do you organize your day?
“With duct tape and baling wire.”
Do you like working from home? What tools do you use to be productive/what’s your WFH setup?
我喜欢它！我们是一家虚拟公司，全国各地的员工和全球顾问。我们的工作流程根本没有改变。我们一直依靠电子邮件和电话，甚至在大流行之前我们都是Zoom的早期采用者。
您最欣赏哪个创业领导者？谁是您的榜样？
我的旧老板罗恩·齐默尔曼。罗恩开始PLx制药with technology from the Texas Medical Center, invested in the company, invented technology, and ran the company until it was listed on Nasdaq. I worked with him for 15 years building PLx. We developed VAZALORE from conception to FDA approval. In doing so, he taught me that life is simple; develop a consensus, say what you are going to do, do what you say, and if you can’t, be straight up so everyone can manage expectations. He’s been a role model for me to develop into an executive with high ethics and the ability to manage virtual operations.
How do you read-in every day to know where the opportunities are, what your competitors are doing, where the next big idea might be?
Big ideas, in my experience, are not instantaneous conceptions; they build on numerous multidisciplinary insights. Practically, we develop a target product profile for any ‘big idea’ and test with potential pharma partners, investors, and granting agencies.
您希望在领导一家初创公司的初期认识什么，这对您的创始人知道有帮助？您收到的最好的建议是什么？
直接与所有人在一起。
您想和哪个科学家死了或活着的咖啡？
Edward Jenner, who developed the first vaccine and laid the foundation for prophylactic vaccination, which has saved more lives than anyone or anything in global history.
您将对New Johnson＆Johnson Innovation -JLABS居民充分利用JLABS的居民有什么建议？
Talk to everyone! Being a JLABS resident offers unique networking opportunities and access to potential partners and mentors. Get to know the JLABS community to make the most of your experience.
What is your advice on tailoring your pitch to different investors/tips for pitching to investors in the virtual era?
首先从具有潜在的药物合作伙伴的简单目标产品配置文件测试开始。如果您吸引他们的注意力，您将知道如何讲故事。您将永远不会第一次正确。这总是一个不断发展的故事。当您获得从根本上改变故事的新数据时，您必须始终适应，保持积极和透明，并遵循科学逻辑以自然结论。
这次采访来自Johnson＆Johnson Innovation，代表了来自我们的创新中心，JLABS和JJDC的各种活动。本访谈中的信息仅用于信息目的。该信息是专有或获得Johnson＆Johnson Innovation LLC，其母公司或任何或任何子公司ld乐动或关联公司（“ JJI和Johnson＆Johnson”），或由第三方提供或专有。如果有第三方信息，请注意，只有那些提供或拥有此信息的第三方负责。JJI和Johnson＆Johnson不隶属于参加Blue Knight的公司，通过提供此信息，JJI和Johnson＆Johnson不认可这些第三方或本访谈中提供的任何信息。此内容并非旨在影响JJI和Johnson＆Johnson的任何产品或服务的使用，销售，建议或推广。JJI和Johnson＆Johnson对您对此信息所做或不采取的任何行动概不负责或负责，也不对您使用此信息负责。通过在本次采访中提供信息，JJI和Johnson＆Johnson不对本访谈中提供的内容或信息进行任何陈述，担保或保证，明示或暗示，并且不承担任何用法或更改的任何用途您的信息是您的。JJI和Johnson＆Johnson在此明确不符合与本访谈中有关信息有关的直接或间接的任何保证，陈述，保证或保证，并且不承担直接或间接的责任。