a16z Podcast: Connecting Hearts, Bodies, and Networks to Cure Cancer

Key takeaways

Canine and human cancers share significant biological similarities, making dogs a valuable model for cancer research.
Real-world evidence collected from canine health can enhance understanding and treatment of human cancers.
The involvement of pet owners provides critical behavioral data that can aid in the earlier detection and treatment of cancer in dogs.
Building bio companies requires balancing immediate needs with a long-term vision, facilitated by collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams.
Emerging genomics and precision medicine for dogs can pave the way for advancements in both veterinary and human oncology.

Summary

The Intersection of Veterinary and Human Oncology

Discusses the surprising similarities between canine and human cancer biology. Dogs and humans share genetic pathways and environmental exposures, making canine oncology relevant to human cancer research. Amy Abernathy, a melanoma oncologist, emphasizes the potential for insights gained from studying dog cancer to accelerate human clinical trials.

Data and Real-World Evidence in Veterinary Medicine

Explores how the lack of strict privacy regulations, compared to human health data, allows for the easy collection of large datasets in veterinary oncology. This unique situation creates significant opportunities to gather real-world evidence. The guests discuss the idea of a national database to streamline data collection for more effective treatment.

The Role of Pet Owners and Veterinary Professionals

Highlights the importance of involving pet owners in the health journey of their pets. Pet owners tend to closely observe their dogs' behaviors and can provide valuable insights which can lead to better diagnosis and treatment plans. The discussion also addresses the limitations of veterinary oncologists and the shortage affecting access to cancer treatment for pets.

Product Development Challenges in Bio Companies

Discusses the critical roadmap for developing a bio company focused on veterinary oncology, emphasizing the balance of addressing immediate needs significant to dog health while preparing for long-term goals. The conversation stresses the importance of forming multi-disciplinary teams to build shared understanding across various fields and expertise for effective collaboration.

Future Directions in Dog Cancer Research and Treatment

Talks about ongoing developments in genomics and precision medicine for dogs. The guests envision creating a comprehensive system that not only treats canine cancers but also generates substantial data to improve human oncology practices through interrelated research efforts.

Show notes

Veterinary oncology can inform human oncology, and vice versa -- providing a better model for looking at drug performance, interrelationships, and more. Especially when you add in data (there's no "doggy HIPAA!") and networks to get a "living laboratory at scale".

Or so argues Amy Abernethy (Chief Medical and Chief Scientific Officer at Flatiron Health and advisor to One Health), who was recently named the new Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, pending ethics clearance; and Christina Lopes, CEO and co-founder of One Health; in conversation with a16z bio general partner Jorge Conde. Dogs -- as a species, as pets, as companions, as family members -- evolved alongside humans, so are actually more similar to us... not just genetically and in terms of the biologic pathways that may cause cancer, but also in exposure to similar environmental factors as well.

But what does this all mean when it comes to thinking about real-world evidence in science, human clinical trials, and more broadly, building a bio company? How can product designers -- of all kinds -- backwards-architect their product roadmap for data network effects? And how can bio founders keep both a big-picture roadmap in mind while also focusing on specific milestones, and while working across unconnected disciplines as well? We cover all this and more in this special episode of the a16z Podcast, recorded during the recent J.P.M. healthcare conference in San Francisco.

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