Wilson Sonsini is proud to sponsor the Innovator's Workbench Series.

"I love the capacity to intervene in a situation that could be or is grievous and turn it into something that is extraordinarily positive." In 2014, cardiologist and biotechnology executive Dr. Ted Love, came out of an early retirement for the unique opportunity of leading a biotechnology startup that was investing in sickle cell disease - a life-threatening affliction, primarily impacting people of African descent, for which there were limited treatment options. By late 2019, seven years after its founding, the company, Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) had taken its first drug through FDA approval and brought it to market for use by children and adults. In 2022, GBT was acquired by Pfizer.

Join us and hear from Ted on what inspired his journey into medicine and his subsequent foray into drug development; what it takes to shepherd a company through the arduous journey of conceiving, developing, and bringing a novel drug to market; and the biggest opportunities he foresees in biotechnology innovation. We'll also discuss the tremendous challenges that result from inequities in our healthcare system and the deliberate strategies required to overcome these inequities.