Gregory D. Kunst, the Chief Executive Officer of Aurion Biotech, brings a wealth of experience and a unique vision to the forefront of ophthalmic innovation. With a career that has seamlessly transitioned through significant roles in the biotech industry, Kunst’s leadership is driving Aurion Biotech toward groundbreaking advancements in treatments for eye diseases. This interview explores his journey to becoming a pivotal figure in biotech, the cutting-edge developments at Aurion Biotech, and the strategies employed to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the sector. Join us as we delve into the insights of a leader who is not just shaping a company but potentially transforming the future of ophthalmology.
Greg, reflecting on your path to becoming CEO of Aurion Biotech, what specific experiences or milestones do you believe were pivotal in preparing you for leadership in the biotech industry?
I think the most important experience for me was during my time at Glaukos. This is where I cut my teeth into what it takes to build a successful start-up. During my time at Glaukos, I was very fortunate to work for a fantastic CEO and Founder, Tom Burns. I got to watch him build the company from a free-standing start to a $350m company over 6 years. What an amazing learning lab for me and many things we do at Aurion are emulated by the things I learned at Glaukos and from Tom Burns.
Aurion Biotech is at the forefront of transformative therapies in ophthalmology. Can you discuss any recent breakthroughs or developments that you believe will significantly impact the field?
What we are doing will likely be one of the most transformation products in our lifetime in ophthalmology. We think about big step changes in ophthalmology and we generally think about things like modern cataract surgery or Anti-VEGFs used in retinal disease as examples of this. What we are doing by addressing corneal blindness could have the same impact to ophthalmology.
In an industry as dynamic as biotech, staying innovative is crucial. Could you highlight some strategies Aurion Biotech employs to foster creativity and innovation within your teams?
Well our three values is grit, stewardship, and transformation. Transformational work is at the heart of what we do. We only work on things that are first in kind and address major areas of untreated or undertreated disease. We only hire people that buy into this vision.
Leading a company focused on life-changing therapies comes with its challenges. What do you consider the biggest challenge in your role as CEO, and how do you address it?
Biotech is hard. There are a lot of ups and downs. There are a lot of near-death experiences. We have very dedicated scientists and employees at Aurion Biotech. I find one of my important roles at Aurion Biotech is as Cheerleader in Chief and Chief Motivation Officer. I have learned that when you hire very smart, motivated people and you get out of their way, get them the resources they need, and have their backs, the potential of the company is frankly infinite. Since we are addressing untreated or undertreated disease, it is always important that we stay focused on helping patients. If we do this, everything else will come.
As CEO, you’re tasked with steering Aurion Biotech through various phases of growth. Could you share your insights on leadership strategies that have been instrumental in guiding your team through scaling and market challenges?
Have a strong culture rooted in your key values and reward people based on those values. Culture always trumps strategy. The human potential for success when you put together the right people working on the right things is remarkable. Every day, we face challenges, but we always get through them because we have the right team of people who are highly motivated to cure blindness.
Corporate social responsibility is increasingly important for companies in all sectors. How does Aurion Biotech integrate CSR into its business practices, particularly in relation to patient access and affordability of treatments?
Well, very early in the history of the company, we decided we were developing a global treatment. Often, companies only think about Western markets. Not Aurion Biotech. We think we have the first mass-market cell therapy that we can take to every corner of the world. We will address corneal blindness not only in the US and Europe but also in places such as India, China, and Africa. This is important in how we think about our scaling, our logistics, our pricing, etc.
Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for Aurion Biotech in the next 5 years, and how do you envision the company shaping the future of ophthalmic care?
First and foremost, we need to get our corneal endothelial program approved and launched around the world. My expectation is that we will bring this to every country in the world, as corneal blindness is a worldwide problem. Second, we have built the finest group of scientists, clinicians, regulatory experts, manufacturing experts, quality experts, logistics experts, and commercial experts in cell therapy and ophthalmology. We would be amiss if we did not use our experience for other untreated, blinding diseases and we full expect to dramatically increase our R&D throughout during the period.
