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Success-Driven Drug Discovery with OpenBench CEO James Yoder

February 11, 2026 · 54 min

Show notes

In this episode of Data in Biotech, host Ross Katz sits down with James Yoder, Founder and CEO of OpenBench, to unpack a radical new approach to early-stage drug discovery. James shares how OpenBench's "success-driven" model shifts risk away from biotech partners by only charging for validated hits. They dive deep into computational screening, molecular modeling, and the company's evolving tech stack that's making hit discovery smarter and more accessible. Discover how data, AI, and strategic collaboration are redefining biotech R&D.

What you'll learn in this episode:

>> Why OpenBench moved away from SaaS to a success-based service model

>> How their computational platform predicts binding affinity and screens trillions of compounds

>> The role of data flywheels and ML in improving drug discovery success rates

>> Real-world case studies from biotech collaborations

>> How OpenBench evaluates druggable targets in one week

Meet our guest

James Yoder is the Founder and CEO of OpenBench. With a background in statistics, data science, and applied machine learning, he leads OpenBench's mission to deliver validated drug discovery hits through computational innovation and a success-driven business model.

About the host

Ross Katz is Principal and Data Science Lead at CorrDyn. Ross specializes in building intelligent data systems that empower biotech and healthcare organizations to extract insights and drive innovation.

Connect with our guest:

Connect with us:

  • Follow the podcast for more insightful discussions on the latest in biotech and data science.
  • Subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!
  • Connect with Ross Katz on LinkedIn

Sponsored by…

This episode is brought to you by CorrDyn, the leader in data-driven solutions for biotech and healthcare. Discover how CorrDyn is helping organizations turn data into breakthroughs at CorrDyn.

All episodes of Data in Biotech

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