Drug developer Suma Krishnan was 51 when she had the idea for a topical gene therapy to treat a rare and terrible skin disorder, called dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, in which the skin becomes as fragile as butterfly wings. It was a risky move, as was her decision with her husband and cofounder Krish Krishnan to shun VC funding for their startup Krystal Biotech. Today, Pittsburgh-based Krystal, founded in 2016, is publicly traded, with a market cap of $4.1 billion, one FDA-approved therapy on the market and others in the works. “You have to be brave and bold to do this,” says Krishnan, an Indian immigrant who Forbes estimates is worth $287 million. “I was never afraid of risk-taking. I never felt like I needed a stable job.”
Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/50over50/
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0:00 - Introduction: From Big Pharma Scientist to Biotech Founder
3:00 - Why We Avoided Venture Capital & Co-Founded as a Couple
5:22 - How We Succeeded Without Venture Capital
7:38 - From a $50M IPO to a $4.4B Company
10:14 - What is Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)?
13:00 - The Science: How Our Topical Gene Therapy Works
15:33 - The 'Daunting' FDA Approval Process During COVID
17:51 - Beyond Skin: Applying Gene Therapy to Cystic Fibrosis & More
21:07 - What Patients Taught Me About Life
23:38 - I Never Would Have Imagined This Career
25:17 - My Advice for Young Women: Patience is Your Weapon
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