At the pinnacle of academic success, an undeniable gap needed to be crossed to push Dr Katie Leach’s life-saving drug development research towards commercialisation. She sought knowledge, resources and experiences to successfully navigate this critical step, including taking part in the Bridge Program.
The pursuit of discovery
Growing up, Katie Leach was fascinated by how the universe is governed by molecules, chemical reactions and physical forces that we cannot see. Her research career was inspired by this fascination, and the way chemical and physical laws mediate biological outcomes.
It began with an Honours project investigating the effects of antipsychotic drugs on serotonin receptors – a class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in many diseases, and led to her establishing and leading a multidisciplinary team of scientists, developing drugs for endocrine, respiratory and neuropsychiatric disorders.
“I was particularly interested in the biochemistry and molecular interactions that control human (patho)physiology. I was drawn towards how drugs engage with proteins to correct disease states,” she said.
Her significant successes in GPCR research led to receiving a series of prestigious funding accolades, establishing and giving rise to the Endocrine and Neuropharmacology laboratory at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS). Co-led by Katie, the lab interrogated GPCR structure and function from the atomic level through to preclinical effects of drugs. This work shifted fundamental knowledge about GPCR drug actions, and her team used these insights to develop novel allosteric drugs for the treatment of endocrine and respiratory disorders.
The lab grew to have unique academic drug discovery, infrastructure and researcher capabilities that support a large part of the drug discovery pipeline. Together with her pharmacology expertise, Katie and her team gained unprecedented insight into how drugs engage with receptors to mediate effects at a molecular, cellular, and physiological level.
“We used this information to discover our own novel drug-like molecules, highlighting how drugs can be rationally designed when their molecular actions are deciphered.
“This motivated me to use my expertise in GPCR drug discovery to further the development of GPCR-targeting drugs with novel and superior mechanisms of action,” she said.
Connecting discovery with commercialisation
At this high point of discovery, Katie was well aware of the gap between academic research and its real-world application. She began seeking ways and resources to help her cross it.
She took part in the Bridge Program, and it gave her the confidence to better navigate the drug discovery process beyond her area of expertise in preclinical drug discovery. She said it also helped her to see the invaluable contribution she could make to the biomedical sector.
“By combining my experience in GPCR drug discovery with the skills and knowledge I gained through the Bridge Program, I now feel that I have a greater capacity to direct the development of new therapeutics,” she said.
“Given the ongoing decline in investment into discovery research at universities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to undertake drug discovery research in an academic setting alone, and even more difficult to progress novel discoveries towards commercialisation.
“To be able to push my work over that threshold, I recently accepted an exciting opportunity in the biotech industry,” she said.
Katie recently joined AdAlta Ltd as Director of Functional Biology and Pharmacology. Here she will use her GPCR drug discovery expertise to help AdAlta advance their novel antibody-like drugs, with a focus on targeting GPCRs.
A commercialisation toolkit for career navigation
Katie says the Bridge Program highlighted that to progress her research towards commercial opportunities, she needed to combine expertise spanning preclinical and clinical capabilities as well as business management and investor engagement skills.
“It emphasised the importance of understanding partnership, licensing and investment models needed to further the development of a start-up company.
“I now have a much better understanding of the landscape of biomedical investment opportunities in Australia, where it is typically difficult to pursue drug discovery efforts without licensing or selling technologies to larger pharma companies overseas,” she said.
A fellowship to extend biotech networks further
Katie feels fortunate to have built strong collaborations over the years with clinicians, physiologists, medicinal chemists, pharmacokinetic and dynamics experts and structural biologists. Recognising the benefits these connections had on her career prompted her to apply for a Bridge and BridgeTech Industry Fellowship. As a Bridge Program alumni, Katie was uniquely positioned to apply for a fellowship, which offers an industry placement valued at $10K for participants to develop skills, build networks and advance their ability to achieve commercialisation outcomes.
Katie’s successful application landed her a placement with Brandon Capital, where she gained invaluable insight into the purpose and structure of venture capital funding and the role that venture capital firms play in the development of novel biomedical technologies in Australia.
“I was particularly inspired by Brandon Capital’s provision of not only financial backing to their investees, but also scientific and business management support. This strengthened my appreciation of teamwork in the biotech industry and the need for teams with diverse skills.
“A highlight was working on live projects related to my area of expertise. I supported Brandon Capital investment analysts to assess investment potential related to GPCR drug discovery and technologies,” Katie said.
“The opportunity showed me the exciting science happening beyond academia, which certainly contributed to my decision to leave academia to join the biotech industry,” she added.
Join a nation-wide network of biotech professionals
Each year up to 100 people from a diverse range of professions and institutions around Australia are selected to join the Bridge Program. Fully-funded by MTPConnect and a consortium of industry and university partners, Bridge Program participants join one of the country’s most significant pharma and biotech professional networks. They participate in a series of events, activities and seminars, while undertaking self-paced, online training to develop a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceuticals commercialisation pathway. New participants also have mentoring opportunities with successful alumni like Dr Katie Leach.
The application round opens early each year. Applications are submitted through the Bridge Program website.