Nikolaus Trede, SVP Clinical Development in Century Therapeutics - Lessons from Breyanzi and Global Cell Therapy Trials

A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence

In this episode, I interview Nikolaus Trede, the SVP Clinical Development in Century Therapeutics, an innovative biotechnology company that is building an industry leading allogeneic iPSC-derived cell therapy platform. He shares his journey from academia to industry, offering unique experience into the ever-changing world of cell therapies.

We also discuss:

• The impact of ready-made therapies on cancer treatment
• Common problems in clinical trials and how to dodge them
• What we can learn from the ROCKET trial's close call
• Tips for assembling a top-notch biotech team
• Turning obstacles into major advances in medical research

Here's what you're in:

02:15 Meeting Nik and his background

04:30 The promise of new cell therapies

09:45 Tough parts of creating new treatments

15:20 How to build strong teams

21:35 What we learned from the ROCKET trial

27:10 Success stories of Lysocell and reaching more patients

32:55 How to talk better in medical research

38:40 Making a good team spirit at work

43:15 Why getting along matters in teams

46:30 Final thoughts and advice for newcomers

About Nikolaus Trede

Nikolaus Trede is a physician-scientist specializing in immunology and pediatric hematology/oncology. With a PhD in immunology and 15 years of clinical experience at institutions like Harvard Medical School and the University of Utah, he bridges basic science and patient care. Dr. Trede has led academic research labs and industry teams, designing and supervising clinical trials for innovative cancer treatments. His work spans from chronic myelogenous leukemia studies to current CAR T cell trials in hematologic malignancies at JUNO/Celgene, demonstrating his expertise in translating scientific concepts into clinical applications.

Connect with Nikolaus Trede:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaus-trede/

Website: https://www.centurytx.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/