S3, E4: ReproNovo’s strategic trash-to-treasure bet on fertility and reproductive health - with CEO Jean Marie Duval from Raising Biotech

S3, E4: ReproNovo’s strategic trash-to-treasure bet on fertility and reproductive health - with CEO Jean Marie Duval

31 minutes Posted Oct 1, 2025 at 6:15 pm.

– Introduction

– Jean Marie’s elevator pitch on ReproNovo

– Pipeline overview: RPN-001 and RPN-002, from Novartis/Mereo and ObsEva

– Jean Marie’s career journey: from biomedical engineer to patent attorney to pharma exec and biotech CEO

– Founding story: bootstrapping, co-founders, and the first in-license

– The 18-month grind: capital risk, grit, and courage

– Bringing in M Ventures and building the Series A syndicate

– Convincing investors in an under-served field

– Asset history: male infertility data signals, IVF trial failures, and fresh strategies

– Embryo implantation and adenomyosis: unmet need and opportunity

– Clinical trial plans: Phase II timelines, endpoints, and design challenges

– Safety vs efficacy: the importance of balancing risk in women’s health trials

– Trial recruitment and patient motivation

– Looking ahead: pivotal studies, Series B or big pharma exit

0:00

31:30

Download MP3

Share at current time

Show notes

In this episode, we dive into ReproNovo’s “trash to treasure” biotech story. Founded in Switzerland in 2021, the company is reimagining reproductive medicine, one of the most underserved areas in biotech, by reviving overlooked and discarded assets. Earlier this year, ReproNovo raised a $65M Series A from a syndicate of esteemed European investors to advance programs in male infertility, embryo implantation, and adenomyosis.

CEO Jean Marie Duval reflects on her unconventional path from patent attorney to biotech CEO, why she and her co-founders put their own capital on the line, and how they convinced investors to back them without fresh data. We also talk about the unique hurdles of drug development in fertility, the challenge of designing and powering clinical trials, and why the next two years will be pivotal for ReproNovo to prove its vision of revival and hopes for a successful exit.

Timestamps

For any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: [email protected]

Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)

← See all 25 episodes of Raising Biotech