We recently sat down with the five biotech companies accepted into the Spring 2026 Drive cohort to learn more about their science, their “ah-ha” moments, and how Drive is changing the trajectory of their business. Today it’s Laurel Biotherapeutics, a company building a new class of precision biologics at the intersection of cardiovascular disease and serious comorbid conditions affecting millions of patients. We spoke with co-founders Tatiana Blanchard, PhD (CEO), Matt Therkelsen, PhD (President), and Michael White, PhD (CSO).
What problem are you obsessed with solving—and why does it matter right now?
At Laurel Biotherapeutics, we are focused on addressing the unmet need in patients with heart failure complicated by renal dysfunction, a population with limited options and poor outcomes. Current treatment approaches, including diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors, are limited in their ability to deliver sustained and coordinated cardiorenal benefit. Recent clinical insights have highlighted both the promise and the limitations of existing strategies, creating a clear opportunity to develop next-generation therapies designed to deliver more durable, precise, and clinically meaningful effects.
What’s a recent moment that made you think, ‘this could really work’?
There is compelling validation that activating this pathway could lead to benefit in patients, but achieving the right balance of potency, duration, and physiological effect has remained elusive. One recent moment where we thought this could really work was when we used available cryo-EM structures to design novel agonists using AI and generated initial candidates against target epitopes. We’re running a generative AI campaign alongside immunization-derived discovery approaches, and our initial data showing a diverse repertoire which gives us the opportunity to identify and optimize differentiated functional profiles. Taking learnings from previous approaches while applying new tools to generate entirely new molecules, makes us believe we have a real opportunity to move the field forward.
Since joining Drive, what’s one shift in your thinking, strategy, or network that’s had a real impact on your company?
One of the most impactful shifts coming from our Drive sessions has been in how we approach building early proof of concept datasets. We are focused on generating a robust data package that demonstrates clear differentiation. At the same time, we have started from the end in mind by defining the clinical profile and trial design we ultimately want to achieve, and working backward to ensure every early experiment supports that vision. Combined with access to a strong network of experienced founders and operators, this has sharpened both our strategy and execution as we build Laurel.