What if the key to reversing ALS isn't replacing dead neurons, but reawakening the

connections between the ones that are still alive?

In this groundbreaking episode, host Aaron Lazar sits down with Dr. Stella Sarraf,

serial biotech entrepreneur, Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree for Innovation, and founder and

CEO of both Spinogenix and Amydis. A PhD chemist turned drug developer, Dr. Sarraf

is pioneering first-in-class neuroregenerative therapeutics that work at the synaptic level

to restore brain function in ALS, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and Fragile X syndrome.

Her investigational drug SPG302 has received FDA expanded access authorization to

treat 200 ALS patients, and Orphan Drug Designation from the European Medicines

Agency.

This conversation is both a masterclass in drug development and a deeply personal

story of loss and purpose. Dr. Sarraf opens up about losing her father to Parkinson's

and her mother to breast cancer, and how those experiences ignited her mission to

transform neurology from a field of late diagnosis and limited options into one of early

detection and real treatment. She describes the decade-long marathon from lab bench

to clinical trial, the mouse that started running circles after treatment, and the impossible

dream of turning ALS from a death sentence into a chronic, manageable disease.

The impossible dream shines brightest in Dr. Sarraf's patient-first approach to expanded

access. Rather than wait years for traditional clinical trial pathways, she fought for FDA

authorization to offer SPG302 to ALS patients who wouldn't otherwise qualify, passing

costs to patients rather than profits to shareholders. It's the same spirit that drove her to

found Amydis: using the eye as a window to the brain to detect neurodegenerative

disease proteins like TDP-43 before symptoms appear, potentially catching ALS at the

earliest possible stage.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Stella Sarraf is a visionary biotech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of

Spinogenix and Amydis. Named to Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation (2025), she holds a

PhD in organic chemistry from Columbia University and a BA in biochemistry and

molecular biology from UC Berkeley. Dr. Sarraf began her career as a senior research

chemist at Merck Research Laboratories, where she developed novel drug synthesis

processes for clinical trials. She then spent over a decade in healthcare venture capital

at Foresite Capital Management and Prospect Venture Partners, leading diligence on

400+ investment opportunities in therapeutics and diagnostics. In 2013, she founded

Amydis to develop ocular tracers for early detection of neurodegenerative disease

biomarkers including TDP-43 (present in 97% of ALS patients) and amyloid beta. In

2016, she founded Spinogenix to develop synaptic regenerative therapies. The

company's lead drug SPG302 is in clinical trials for ALS, Alzheimer's, and

schizophrenia, with FDA expanded access authorization to treat 200 ALS patients. Hall

of Fame quarterback Steve Young serves on the Spinogenix board. Dr. Sarraf was born

in Iran and is driven by her personal experience losing both parents to

neurodegenerative disease.

Learn more about Dr. Stella Sarraf:

Spinogenix

Amydis

Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation (2025)

Xtalks Life Science Podcast Interview

LIVE YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS

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Episode Navigation:

1. 00:00 - How a PhD in organic chemistry is basically cooking with chemicals

2. 05:04 - Living the impossible dream: FDA expanded access for 200 ALS patients

3. 08:13 - The marathon of drug development: From cell to animal to human

4. 10:21 - The mouse that ran circles: When the drug worked in an ALS animal model

5. 22:28 - Combination therapy: Why ALS won't be solved by a single silver bullet

6. 27:20 - Amydis and the eye: Detecting TDP-43 and diagnosing ALS early

7. 39:47 - AI meets ophthalmology: Analyzing retinal images to track disease

8. 44:06 - Steve Young, Dwight Clark, and the power of education and advocacy

9. 48:55 - Fighting the system: Why expanded access programs face hospital

bottlenecks

10. 53:38 - Flora and Whooshing: Fighting for her parents and all of us