Ep207: Jason Coloma on Genetic Medicines for Kidney Diseases
Jason Coloma, CEO of Maze Therapeutics, discusses the company's focus on developing genetic medicines for kidney diseases, rooted in human genetics and aimed at tackling complex diseases. The conversation covers Maze's journey from initial funding challenges to pursuing innovative drug development strategies and navigating regulatory hurdles.
Summary
In this episode of The Long Run, Jason Coloma, CEO of Maze Therapeutics, shares his journey and the company's mission to develop small molecule drugs for kidney diseases, leveraging human genetic data. Maze Therapeutics was established during a time when venture capital financing was challenging, and despite facing setbacks, including an antitrust scrutiny from the federal government over a partnership with Sanofi, the company has positioned itself with two lead programs: targeting APOL1-mediated kidney disease and SLC6A19. Coloma emphasizes the importance of human genetics in drug discovery and the potential for disease-modifying therapeutics that could significantly impact patient lives.
Coloma reflects on his academic background, which began with a focus in basic sciences and was influenced by his immigrant family's resilience. His early career involved positions at Cytokinetics, Genentech, and Third Rock Ventures, where he gained valuable experience in the biotech industry and developed a passion for entrepreneurship in drug development. He narrates how partnerships and navigating regulatory landscapes have been crucial for advancing kidney disease research, particularly citing collaborations with organizations like Parasol and Nefcure.
Coloma also discusses the regulatory shifts within the FDA that have opened new avenues for kidney disease treatments, allowing drugs to be approved based on biomarkers rather than purely clinical outcomes. Looking forward, he is optimistic about Maze's prospects, heading toward critical trials and the potential to positively impact the lives of millions suffering from kidney diseases. Overall, Coloma’s reflections capture both the challenges and opportunities within the biotechnology landscape, emphasizing the importance of resilience and collaboration in driving innovation.
About this episode
Jason Coloma, CEO of South San Francisco-based Maze Therapeutics, on developing small molecule drugs based on human genetics for kidney diseases.
Key Insights
- Maze Therapeutics focuses on developing genetic medicines for kidney diseases using human genetic data.
- The company experienced significant challenges in financing and had to navigate antitrust scrutiny with a partnership with Sanofi.
- APOL1-mediated kidney disease disproportionately affects the Black community, leading to a need for targeted therapies.
- Coloma's journey into biotech was influenced by his immigrant family's resilience and his interest in science.
- The FDA has been more open to approving kidney disease drugs based on biomarkers rather than solely long-term clinical outcomes.
- The collaboration between industry players and academic institutions has been crucial for advancing kidney disease research.
- Investors previously shied away from kidney disease drug development due to uncertainty around regulatory pathways and long trial durations.
- Coloma's tenure at Third Rock Ventures served as a practical learning experience in entrepreneurship and company building.
- The goal of the APOL1-focused program is to develop a disease-modifying therapy that can delay or prevent the onset of dialysis.
- Maze Therapeutics initially had a broader pipeline but will focus on kidney diseases for greater impact.
- Coloma emphasizes the need for resilience in drug development, especially after experiencing setbacks in partnerships.
- The collaboration with advocacy groups and initiatives like the Kidney Health Initiative demonstrates a collective effort to improve kidney health outcomes.
Topics
Transcript
Welcome to the Long Run. This is a podcast for biotech adventurers. I'm your host, Luke Timmerman. Today's guest is Jason Coloma. Jason is the CEO of South San Francisco-based Maze Therapeutics. The company is developing small molecule drugs to halt or potentially reverse kidney diseases. The drug discovery work at Mays is grounded in human genetics. They look at large pools of data to see how variants of one kind or another can make people sick or protect them from falling ill. Mays went public in early 2025 after surviving several lean years of biotech financing. A key partnership unraveled after the federal government sought to block it on antitrust grounds. MAIS found a way to bounce back and…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from The Long Run with Luke Timmerman
Ep210: Cameron Turtle on Long-Lasting Antibodies for Immune Disorders
Cameron Turtle, CEO of Spire Therapeutics, discusses the company's approach to developing long-acting antibody therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease and other immune disorders by extending antibody half-life and combining multiple antibodies to achieve superior efficacy compared to existing monotherapy treatments. Turtle traces his career from Oxford DPhil research on cardiomyopathy through consulting at McKinsey, to founding roles at Bridge Therapeutics and now leading Spire, which was spun out from Paragon Therapeutics with $1.6 billion raised to fund an ambitious clinical program.
Ep209: Mathai Mammen on Developing Drugs Against Undruggable Targets
Mattai Mammen, CEO of Parabolus Medicines, discusses his journey from Harvard MD-PhD student studying multivalency under George Whitesides to founding TheraVance, leading R&D at Merck and J&J, and now building a platform company using alpha-helical peptides to drug previously undruggable intracellular protein targets like beta-catenin. His personal tragedies—losing two daughters at age six—profoundly shaped his commitment to developing transformative medicines.
Ep208: Gary Nabel on Developing a Vaccine for Epstein-Barr Virus
Gary Nabel, CEO of Modex Therapeutics, discusses his career trajectory from virology to leading vaccine development at the NIH Vaccine Research Center and Sanofi, culminating in founding a biotech company developing a multi-specific bispecific vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus in collaboration with Merck. He explains how advances in structural biology, antibody engineering, and rational vaccine design have enabled the development of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies targeting infectious diseases and cancers.
Ep206: Lyn Baranowski on Inhalable Medicines for Severe Lung Diseases
Lynn Baranowski, CEO of Avalon Pharma, discusses her journey from diplomacy to biotech entrepreneurship and the company's strategy of reformulating existing pulmonary fibrosis drugs as inhalable treatments to improve patient tolerability and efficacy. She explains how delivering approved oral drugs directly to the lungs via nebulizer allows for dramatically reduced doses while maintaining or improving therapeutic benefit.
Ep205: Heather Turner on a Schizophrenia Drug Patients Can Stick With
Heather Turner, CEO of LB Pharmaceuticals, discusses her unconventional path from corporate attorney to biotech CEO, leading the development of LB102, a methylated derivative of amisulpride for treating schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. She successfully navigated a challenging IPO during a biotech financing freeze and is now advancing the compound through late-stage clinical trials with a focus on improving patient adherence and reducing side effects.