Empowering Entrepreneurs: Amanda Burkardt Journey with Springboard
February 6, 2025
“The network of advisors at Springboard is unparalleled, and the connections I built with driven, like-minded women entrepreneurs will stay with me for a lifetime. The Springboard community is truly exceptional, offering me a platform to share our work through opportunities like JPM events, Dolphin Tank sessions, and virtual pitch days. Focusing on infectious disease and women’s health can make building a community challenging, but Springboard has enabled me to curate an invaluable network of experts and supporters.” Read on to learn more about her journey!
Q&A:
Why did you start your company?
Having personally struggled with recurrent UTIs, I know how debilitating they can be and what is worse, for those with UTIs resistant to antibiotics, you’re out of options left to suffer with a painful infection and the risk of severe complications, such as sepsis, grows exponentially. Recurrent UTIs are not only physically debilitating but also have a significant economic impact of over $2 billion, with the condition leading to millions of doctor visits and hospitalizations annually. In the United States alone, over 8 million doctor visits occur each year due to UTIs, with women being 30 times more likely than men to experience these infections. About 70% of all women will be diagnosed with a UTI at some point in their lives, with some starting as young as age 4. The economic toll of recurrent UTIs, including medical costs and lost productivity, is staggering, and these infections can follow women throughout their lifetime, often worsening with each recurrence. As the number of drug-resistant infections continues to rise, the lack of effective treatment options only adds to the burden.
PHIOGEN was founded in partnership with renowned scientists from Baylor College of Medicine with the goal of tackling chronic infections in a way that has never been done before. Our mission is to address the growing challenge of undruggable infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, by developing dual-action therapeutics that both treat and prevent infections. Through innovative immunomodulation, we aim to not only eliminate existing infections but also stimulate the body’s immune response to prevent recurrence, providing a comprehensive solution to chronic infections. By leveraging cutting-edge science and a deep understanding of microbial resistance, PHIOGEN is pioneering a new era of infection treatment, offering hope for patients with limited options. Working on a product that I could have used during my own fight with untreatable recurrent UTIs is something I’m truly proud of.
What makes your company unique?
Throughout the history of medicine, there has been two fundamental yet opposite approaches in treating bacterial infections: antibiotics or vaccines. Unfortunately, this binary approach has several limitations, where antibiotics are only good for a one-time fix and vaccines are prevention only, leaving a population of patients in a vicious cycle of untreatable infections. What makes PHIOGEN unique is our development of the world’s first immunizing therapeutic that treats and prevents infections through a dual-action approach. Our lead product, PHI-UI-01, has shown early evidence in not only treating recurrent UTIs but also reducing their reoccurrence for over year. Unlike traditional treatments, PHI-UI-01 doesn’t rely on long-term persistence of the drug for protection; instead, it induces a lasting immune response upon bacterial killing, providing patients with long-term immunity and defense against reinfection. This makes our approach truly one of a kind in the world of infection treatment.
At the core of our success is PHIOGEN’s proprietary six-step technology platform, which allows us to discover and develop biologics with novel capabilities like immunomodulation and anti-resistance. This platform is not only revolutionizing infection treatment but is also designed to make our product scalable and accessible worldwide. With the ability to produce high-performing products at low cost and maintain stability in ambient temperatures, our products are ideal for global use, including low and middle-income countries. Our mission is to make the undruggable infections, druggable – bringing hope to millions of people suffering worldwide with infections that have no cure.
What’s one valuable piece of advice you would like to pass to other founders going through future Springboard programs?
I highly recommend meeting with your advisors both as a group and one-on-one as often as possible. Group meetings allow for collaborative brainstorming and diverse perspectives, while individual meetings provide the space to dive deeper into specific challenges or ideas. Building these connections early fosters trust and creates a strong foundation for relationships that can last well beyond the program. Remember, your advisors are invested in your success, so lean on them, learn from them, and nurture those relationships—they are one of the most valuable resources Springboard offers.
