Ois Podcast

Cedric Francois, MD, PhD, is the cofounder, CEO, and president of Apellis, the company behind Syfovre, the first FDA-approved treatment for geographic atrophy.Like many, his path to the top of a successful publicly traded pharmaceutical company did not come fast or easy. He learned the hard way not to rely on “soft commitments” when funding a new venture. He also learned that good instincts and a better bottle of wine can go a long way toward persuading angel investors to open their checkbooks.In this conversation with Firas Rahal, MD, Dr. Francois details the long and winding path that led him from curious physician-scientist to pharmaceutical industry leader. He shares the story of how Syfovre came to be, as well as the hits and misses through 17 years of fundraising.Hits include turning around his first angel investor during an impromptu follow-up meeting. Misses include needing to raise money turning the Great Recession in 2009—a time when there wasn’t money to raise. He avoided bankruptcy by selling his