Using AI to promote biotech innovation: Dr. Maria Luisa Pineda (Envisagenics)
Dr. Maria Luisa Pineda is the co-founder and CEO of Envisagenics, which aims to accelerate the development of innovative therapeutic solutions for RNA splicing variants by leveraging AI and machine learning technologies.
Dr. Pineda was engaged in paid research from the age of 16, and she went on to earn her Ph.D. from the Watson School of Biological Sciences at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). While in Adrian Krainer’s lab at CSHL, Dr. Pineda witnessed the development of Spinraza, an antisense oligonucleotide for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy which was approved by the FDA in 2016.
“When you are being a part of something that important, where children are sending us iron man drawings that look like Adrian with little mouths and glasses after they couldn’t move their hands, that’s when you’re like ‘wow, this is exactly the type of difference I want to make, and not just for one disease, but for many many others.”
Envisagenics looked to accelerate this process and to apply it to many other diseases. Its AI platform, SpliceCore, searches for and validates unique targets around which to develop a therapeutic, using a massive database of RNA splicing errors. The technology allows them to go from analyzing RNAseq all the way to preclinical data with in vivo models in six to eight months, a process that traditionally takes years.
Dr. Pineda acquired pre-seed investment from Breakout Labs, which provided grants to early-stage science companies and gave her access to a great network in Silicon Valley. She has also obtained quite a bit of non-dilutive funding, such as NIH SBIR grants, and she recommends that all qualified startups should apply for non-dilutive funding.
“So if you have an idea, go apply to a grant, get it, try to de-risk it as much as you can, have some data and from there go to investors. You’re going to have a better pitch, have more leverage, and get to the next inflection point.”
Dr. Pineda thanks Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, especially the tech transfer office, for their support. She advises that the first step should be the tech transfer office for scientists interested in spinning out a company. Further, Envisagenics is a resident of Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS in NYC, which Dr. Pineda describes as an exceptional environment allowing for frequent collaboration and mentorship.
“You have to get the mentors, get the allies, get the investors, and surround yourself with really good people that could help you, advise you, mentor you, partner with you to move forward and scale the company the best you can.”
As final advice for future science entrepreneurs, Dr. Pineda recommends accepting your gaps and recruiting people with different skillsets early on, in order to overcome these obstacles and prioritize the company’s success.
“At the end of the day, it’s always for the patient. We want to try to develop therapeutics for them because there’s a huge need. And we have to accelerate it, make it faster and better, so they can enjoy time with their own families”
