Q: You just pitched in the Columbia-Yale Pitch Day this week; can you also give us an overview of Petragen: your mission, current activities, and perhaps what’s on the horizon?
Petragen utilizes deep enzymology expertise to develop novel therapeutics for periodontal disease, a disease that affects over 34 million people in the United States alone. Current standard of care provides limited benefit leaving a clear path for a therapeutic that has clinically meaningful results. Not to be cliche but periodontal disease is underserved and overlooked by both pharma and investors which creates an opportunity for Petragen to do some very innovative things. We hope to be in clinical trials within 12-18 months.
Q: What is your best advice for anyone in entrepreneurship and/or thinking about a startup?
Do your homework. Before you become the biggest supporter of your company, be it's biggest critic. Approach any opportunity with a clear understanding of its weaknesses. Thinking that you have a solution to a problem is great but you first need to understand how everyone interacts with that problem. In the case of therapeutics that goes well beyond the patients (who are primary), and includes folks like payers (why am I paying for this?), healthcare providers (I like what I am doing today - why would I switch or move to something new?) and regulatory agencies (is this safe and effective and can they make it consistently and without issue?).
Q: What’s your favorite off-time activity?
It used to be watching the NY Jets with my family on Sundays but that has become quite painful ;-). I love playing sports with my kids or coaching their teams and traveling with my wife to new destinations.
