EP 158 - Rafael Rosengarten: Why 90% of Cancer Drugs Fail — and the Radical AI Fix You’ve Never Heard Of

2025-05-16

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Most cancer drugs fail. Not because the science is wrong—because we’re solving the wrong problems.The cost? Over $2 billion per failure. And for the patient waiting on a miracle—there’s no second chance.Behind the headlines of “precision medicine,” there’s a deeper story nobody’s telling. Until now. 🎯 Enter Rafael Rosengarten, the scientist-turned-founder who’s rewriting the rules of drug development.In this gripping conversation, we unpack how RNA, AI, and deep empathy could fin...

Most cancer drugs fail. Not because the science is wrong—because we’re solving the wrong problems.

The cost? Over $2 billion per failure. And for the patient waiting on a miracle—there’s no second chance.

Behind the headlines of “precision medicine,” there’s a deeper story nobody’s telling. Until now.

🎯 Enter Rafael Rosengarten, the scientist-turned-founder who’s rewriting the rules of drug development.

In this gripping conversation, we unpack how RNA, AI, and deep empathy could finally close the loop between biology, data, and the patient in the room.

🎧 Watch now to explore:
1️⃣ Why drug failure isn’t a tech problem—it’s a strategy problem
2️⃣ How “information companions” will guide every medicine to the right patient
3️⃣ What pharma keeps getting wrong about biomarkers—and how to fix it
4️⃣ The untold story behind turning down a chef’s job on a Mediterranean yacht
5️⃣ The real reason Genialis may one day go out of business (and why Rafael hopes it does)

👤 About Rafael Rosengarten
Rafael is CEO and co-founder of Genialis, the RNA biomarker company reshaping precision oncology. From academic labs to Michelin-star kitchens, his journey is anything but linear—but his mission is clear: make medicine make sense. With partners across pharma, diagnostics, and AI, Genialis is creating a world where every patient gets the treatment they actually need.

💬 Quotes That Might Shift Your Thinking:
(00:58:37) “Our AI biomarkers de-risk clinical trials, slashing costs and saving lives.”
(01:54:46) “Every drug will have an information companion guiding it to the right patient.”
(01:14:32) “AI should free humans for empathy and creativity, not replace them.”
(00:14:13) “We now have the tools to treat every cancer as unique to each patient.”
(01:31:38) “Stop selling technology; sell solutions to real problems.”

🧭 Timestamps to Explore:
(00:03:52) Inside the World’s Largest Medical Center
(00:10:30) How AI Is Rewiring Precision Medicine
(00:13:51) Why Precision Medicine Is Scaling Now
(00:17:34) Startups Must Solve Market Needs First
(00:23:53) Culture First, Then Business: Startup Blueprint
(00:27:57) Cancer Isn’t One Disease—It’s Thousands
(00:31:44) Predicting Drug Success with AI Biology
(00:36:40) Reimagining Biomarkers Using RNA and AI
(00:47:45) Why Early Detection Still Saves Lives
(00:57:30) Why Most Cancer Drugs Still Fail
(00:58:37) AI Biomarkers That De-Risk Clinical Trials
(01:09:42) Rethinking Dosage with Predictive Algorithms
(01:13:33) Why Human Intuition Still Matters in Science
(01:36:41) The Crystal Ball Question Pharma Can’t Ignore
(01:50:19) The moment where time disappears—and the real future begins.
(01:53:39) Every Drug Will Have an AI Companion