Maria Kondratyev, founder and CEO of Aeterna Therapeutics, joins The Global Marketing Show to discuss how biotech startups can navigate global growth, scientific communication, and early-stage fundraising in the life sciences industry.
Aeterna Therapeutics is an early-stage biotech startup based in San Diego developing long-acting therapies for metabolic diseases, including pediatric growth hormone deficiency. Maria explains how the company is using antibody therapeutics in a novel way to extend hormone half-life from minutes to weeks — potentially transforming daily injections into once-monthly treatments.
For children with growth hormone deficiency, current treatment protocols often require painful daily injections lasting until puberty. Maria shares how treatment inconvenience and patient compliance remain major challenges in pediatric care, especially for teenagers managing chronic conditions. Aeterna’s technology aims to improve quality of life while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
The conversation also explores broader applications for the platform, including oncology, obesity, and diabetes, along with the realities of moving a biotech therapy from early proof-of-concept studies toward clinical development. Maria discusses the startup’s early-stage fundraising efforts, proof-of-concept data in mice, the path toward regulatory testing, and the financial demands of bringing new therapeutics to market.
In addition to the science, this episode offers a deep look at international business development in the biotech industry. Born in Moscow, raised in Tel Aviv, educated in Canada, and now building a company in California, Maria shares how navigating multiple cultures shaped her entrepreneurial mindset and fundraising strategy.
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Maria also shares practical insights for biotech founders and life sciences executives looking to expand internationally. She explains why professional translation and localization matter in scientific and regulatory communication, especially when technical terms may not directly exist across languages. The discussion highlights the risks of relying on literal translation in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and medical research.
Wendy and Maria also explore how cultural differences impact international business relationships, investor communication, and networking. Maria describes how exposure to different cultures helped her adapt communication styles quickly when meeting investors from countries including Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, China, and across Europe.
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This episode is especially valuable for biotech founders, pharmaceutical executives, medical device leaders, life sciences investors, global commercialization teams, and professionals working in scientific translation, localization, or international healthcare communication.
Listen to the full episode to learn how global collaboration, cultural intelligence, and multilingual communication can help biotech companies secure funding, navigate international markets, and bring innovative therapies closer to patients worldwide.