According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, India is one of the top 12 destinations worldwide for biotech activity. Seed-stage venture capital firm Endiya Partners is a player in that space, investing in product startups solving global problems. 

One of its portfolio companies, Eyestem, is working to solve the problem of equal access to cell therapies. Its vision is to develop a scalable cell-therapy platform to treat incurable diseases and to democratize access to these therapies. With cell and gene therapies priced in the six figures, they’re out of reach for the majority of the global population. 

In this OIS Podcast, Eyestem CEO Jogin Desai and Endiya Partners managing director Ramesh Byrapaneni, MD, discuss the mission behind Eyestem and the progress it has made so far. 

Sneak preview: Desai tells host Sophia Pathai, MD, PhD, that Eyestem is laser-focused on scalability. Its lead asset, Eye-Cyte-RPE, designed to treat early-stage age-related macular degeneration, is entering first-in-human trials in Q4. Other products in development are aimed at retinitis pigmentosa and early-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 

Listen to the podcast today to get the full story on the following:

• The Eyestem/Endiya perspective: Can democratized access truly happen? 
• The Eyestem product pipeline and the interest it has already received from pharma.
• What separates Eyestem products from other cell and gene therapies.
• Endiya’s investment philosophy and the companies—including Eyestem—that align with that vision.
• Dr. Byrapaneni and Desai’s backgrounds and what led them to founding a VC and leading a cell therapy company, respectively.

Click “play” to listen.