I. What changes - news to watch this week

🤑 Candid Therapeutics Raises $370 Million to Revolutionize Autoimmune Therapies.

San Diego, CA – The debut of Candid Therapeutics, a company poised to revolutionize the treatment of autoimmune diseases through its innovative T-cell engager antibody platform, captured my attention earlier. Backed by a staggering $370 million Series A raise, Candid’s vision represents a bold step into the future of precision immunology.

The Tech Part

Autoimmune diseases afflict millions worldwide, often with treatments that fail to address the root causes or come with harsh side effects. Candid’s T-cell engager antibodies promise precision: harnessing the immune system’s own mechanisms to restore balance without the collateral damage of current therapies.

Dr. Ken Song, Candid’s Chairman, President, and CEO, encapsulates their mission simply: “We’re here to deliver therapies that change lives.”

If successful, this approach could shift the paradigm for autoimmune care, offering hope to patients who have had few options.

A Vote of Confidence: $370 Million in Funding

Candid Therapeutics’ debut is as much a testament to their potential as it is to the confidence of the investment community. The funding round, led by top-tier investors like Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, TCGX, and venBio Partners, is an indicator of the trust investors have in the leadership. In addition, the funding round was joined by notable backers, including Third Rock Ventures, OrbiMed, and Foresite Capital—all heavyweights in biotech investment. Such early and significant backing underscores the excitement around Candid’s approach to autoimmune diseases.

Read more about the exit strategy of biotech companies here.

II. What never changes - timeless wisdom

😰 Procrastination and the Fear of Not Being 'Good Enough'

Sharing a blog I came across about procrastination. I wrote about this topic before and my view shared a lot in common with what Swapnil has written. So, check it out! 

"I want to read and write more."

That thought has echoed in my mind for the past two years. Yet, as you can see from my sparse blog posts, I haven’t done much of either. While I do read articles here and there, they are far less than I should. And writing? Well, it’s been even longer since I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard in my case. I’ve finally decided to change that, and it only makes sense to start by writing about why I haven’t been writing and how I plan to fix it.

If I had to sum up the reason in one word, it would be laziness. But simply calling it laziness doesn’t solve the problem. Over time, I’ve come to realize that my “laziness” actually comes from two deeper issues. What has never changed throughout the many millions of years of human life?

Continue reading here…

III. Book Quotes

Here are some book quotes for you to ponder over the weekend.

Thanks for reading,

— Anthony