🎃The Trebla Times – October Edition
Fall is in full swing and much like the changing leaves, biotech is shifting colors too. From renewed investor interest in platform plays to increased CMC hiring across gene therapy, we’re seeing early signs of a thaw in the capital freeze. As always, resilience and reinvention are driving the next wave of growth.
T R E N D S
Here’s what we’re seeing in the biotech hiring landscape right now
Capital Trickles, Not Floods
While the IPO window remains tight, private financing is picking up momentum. October saw a handful of high-profile Series B and C raises in the gene therapy and oncology spaces, showing investor appetite is returning for well-positioned science.
Examples:
• Orbital Therapeutics closed a $250M Series C to expand its RNA therapeutics platform.
• Aera Therapeutics raised $110M to push its protein nanoparticle delivery technology into the clinic.
The takeaway: investors are still cautious, but funding is flowing to strong science backed by proven teams.
Hiring Hotspot: CMC & Regulatory
There’s been a noticeable uptick in Regulatory CMC and Analytical Development roles, especially within companies scaling from IND to Phase 2. With regulators emphasizing manufacturing readiness earlier in the pipeline, CMC leaders are in high demand.
Fun fact: Nearly 50% of Trebla’s active searches this month have been within the Regulatory field
Trimming their Trials
While October didn’t match the peak cuts we saw in early summer, workforce reductions continue — particularly across early-stage and publicly traded biotechs tightening their pipelines. Roughly 12 biotech companies announced workforce reductions this month, many tied to clinical reprioritizations and funding delays.
👉Here is the list we thought you’d find most useful:
• Galapagos - shutting down its cell therapy unit after failing to secure a buyer.
• Kezar Life Sciences - Laying off most staff and exploring strategic options after FDA misalignment on zetomipzomib.
• Bolt Biotherapeutics - slashing workforce for the second time to extend runway amid delayed Phase 1 cancer trial.
• Amgen and Biogen made targeted adjustments in R&D and operations, reflecting post-merger integration and cost containment efforts.
• Sana Biotechnology - scaling back programs to extend runway into 2026.
T R E B L A
A behind-the-scenes look at what Trebla’s been up to this month
💰 Offers for the month
• Medical Director, Clinical Development
• Base Salary: $285,000
• Annual Bonus: 25%
• Equity: 30,000 stock options
• Signing Bonus: $10,000
• Location: Cambridge, MA
Trebla’s Pick
Meet candidate 4294- Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs
This candidate has extensive regulatory and clinical development experience across global early- and late-stage programs. Most recently, they led Phase III ophthalmology studies in geographic atrophy/dry AMD involving monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). They have successfully managed multiple EU and FDA interactions, secured PRIME designation, and conducted a PRIME Kick-Off Meeting.
• 14+ years of Regulatory Affairs industry experience
• Regulatory Lead for Ophthalmology and Autoimmune programs (biologics/mAbs)
• Lead cross-functional teams through various FDA and EMA interactions,
• Achieved EMA alignment on a single study, paving the way for future MAA submission in ophthalmology
🔎 Active searches
REGULATORY AFFAIRS
• Vice President, Regulatory Affairs – Ophthalmology (San Francisco, CA)
• Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs – Rare Disease (South San Francisco, CA)
• Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs – Rare Disease (South San Francisco, CA)
CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
• Chief Medical Officer Consultant – Oncology (Remote USA)
• Executive Director, Clinical Development – Allergy/Dermatology (Boston, MA)
• Senior Director, Clinical Development – Immunology/Dermatology (New Jersey)
• Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development – Nephrology (Remote USA)
R&D
• Head of In Vivo – Antibody Discovery (Boulder, CO)
• Director, Immunology (San Diego, CA)
• Senior Scientist – Antibody Engineering (San Diego, CA)
• Senior Scientist – Computational Biology (San Diego, CA)
• Senior Associate Scientist – Antibody Discovery (Boulder, CO)
T R I B E
Here’s what the Trebla team’s been doing off the clock
The Trebla team leaned fully into fall this month, pumpkin pies made from scratch, weekends at the lake, and just the right amount of spooky spirit. Dakota celebrated Halloween with her nephew Charlie, who stole the show dressed as a traffic cone — safety first! Natalia got into the Halloween spirit a few days ahead of schedule, cowboy hats, rhinestones, and plenty of sparkle. Can we get a yeehaw?! Brandon and his wife Jessica had a fortunate turn of good weather in the PNW, exploring the food scene in Portland (shout out Apizza Scholls), hiking up the side of Mt. Rainier, and touring around downtown Seattle.
