"Vir Biotechnology's Struggle: Can Investing in Infectious Disease Pay Off?"

Venture capitalist Bob Nelsen approached industry veteran Vicki Sato nearly a decade ago with the idea of launching a company dedicated to combating infectious diseases, a concept that seemed financially risky given the trend of biotech companies pulling out of infectious disease research. Sato, who had worked on HIV and hepatitis C drugs at Biogen and Vertex, was initially skeptical but ultimately joined the venture, leading to the formation of Vir Biotechnology, which has since faced the challenges of balancing financial viability with the pursuit of infectious disease treatments.