Today I’m delighted to welcome Andy Parker, CEO of Step Pharma.

With over 25 years of experience across AstraZeneca, Shire, Zealand Pharma, and
venture capital, Andy has led Step Pharma since 2019. The company is pioneering
a targeted approach to cancer and blood disorders by inhibiting the enzyme
CTPS1. Their lead candidate, dencatistat, blocks this pathway that certain
cancer cells and activated immune cells rely on, while sparing healthy cells
that use the related CTPS2 enzyme.

In this episode, we’ll dive into the science behind this mechanism, explore Step
Pharma’s expanding pipeline from lymphomas and solid tumours to essential
thrombocythaemia, and discuss their recent €38 million Series C financing.
We’ll also look ahead to the future of precision oncology.

• 01:17 Meet Andy Parker
• 06:12 The biotech ecosystem around Geneva
• 07:51 The CTPS1 enzyme and why cancer cells depend on it
• 14:08 Pipeline-in-a-product strategy across three indications
• 20:14 The series C: €38 million raise
• 25:41 Partnering with big pharma: possibilities and limits
• 28:11 The future of precision oncology and metabolic targeting

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To dive deeper into the topic: 

• Step Pharma and Concr to partner on cancer treatment
• Step Pharma moves into oncology clinical trials
• Step Pharma announces promising pre-clinical cancer data