Jen Herbach on Adventris Pharmaceuticals, Cancer Vaccines, and Founder Mode

Pioneering Cancer Vaccines

• 🔬 Adventris Pharmaceuticals is developing cancer vaccines designed to educate the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.
• 💡 The core concept is to enable the immune system to see what it previously couldn't, likening it to giving the immune system glasses.
• 🎯 The initial target is the KRAS mutation, a driver mutation responsible for over 30% of all cancers, primarily in lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers.

Treatment and Prevention Strategy

• ✅ The immediate focus is on treating localized pancreatic cancer to prevent relapse into metastatic disease, aiming to cure patients.
• 🚀 The long-term vision is to move into cancer prevention, specifically for KRAS-driven cancers, potentially preventing a significant portion of deadly cancers.
• 🩹 Side effects of these vaccines are expected to be minimal, comparable to standard infectious disease vaccines like the flu shot or COVID vaccine.

Company Milestones and Background

• 🗓️ Adventris is currently finalizing its product and plans to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA, with the goal of dosing first patients in early 2027.
• 👩‍🔬 Founder Jen Herbach has a background in science, business, and oncology drug development, having spent her career bringing novel cancer therapeutics to market.
• 🤝 Her co-founder is her college roommate, who became an oncologist, forming a dream team with complementary expertise.

Impact of Y Combinator and Founder Mode

• 📈 Y Combinator provided crucial guidance on startup fundamentals, storytelling, and engaging with investors, which significantly benefited Adventris.
• ⚡ Inspired by Brian Chesky's "founder mode" talk, Jen implemented a hands-on leadership approach, getting deeply involved in scientific details and micromanaging the team initially.
• 👥 This shift led to increased productivity, the departure of two team members not aligned with the new pace, and ultimately a more accountable and efficient team.

Strategic Board Control

• 🛡️ Adventris deliberately avoided giving investors board seats based on YC advice, which proved critical when an investor questioned their scientific strategy.
• ⚖️ This independence allowed them to prioritize patient benefit and scientific data over investor demands, enabling rapid and nimble decision-making.
• 💰 For future funding rounds, the company plans to prioritize board control over valuation, willing to accept a slightly lower valuation to maintain strategic autonomy.