Sign in

Business
Science
Matt Pillar
The Business of Biotech is the pod dedicated to leaders of emerging biopharma firms. SUBSCRIBE to our new newsletter at www.bioprocessonline.com/bob. We bring you insight into organizational, finance and funding, HR, clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory challenges you’ll face as you navigate your company from an idea to success in the clinic. Each episode features guest commentary and best practices from accomplished founders and biopharma industry luminaries. The Business of Biotech is produced by Bioprocess Online and Life Science Connect and brought to you by Cytiva.
Total 229 episodes
Go to
T-Cells For The Win With Adaptimmune's Adrian Rawcliffe

T-Cells For The Win With Adaptimmune's Adrian Rawcliffe

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. In August of this year, the first TCR cell therapy to be approved for use in the U.S. was greenlighted by the FDA for patients with unresectable or metastatic synovial sarcoma who have previously received chemotherapy. It marked the first new treatment for those patients in more than a decade; a win for those patients, and a win for Adrian Rawcliffe, who’s had a hand on the wheel at Adaptimmune, the therapy’s developer and manufacturer, since he joined the company as CFO in 2015. Today, Rawcliffe is CEO there, and on this episode of the Business of Biotech, we’re going to get to know him, why he’s all-in on cell therapies, and how he’s applying a solid track record in finance and business development to make good on the promise they offer. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:01:3518/11/2024
Serving The Underserved With Gates MRI's Claire Wagner, M.D.

Serving The Underserved With Gates MRI's Claire Wagner, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute's (Gates MRI) Dr. Claire Wagner joins us to share insights into her work as head of Corporate Strategy and Market Access there. She shares the development of her North Star while working with the incomparable Dr. Paul Farmer in Rwanda, and how that experience translates to the growth of a biopharmaceutical company taking big swings for grossly underserved populations. We discuss the nuances assoiated with setting strategy and enabling product access in a unique not-for-profit setting, and how, perhaps counterintutively, the Institute's work fits synergistically into an ultra-competitive for-profit biopharma landscape. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
46:4811/11/2024
An Unanticipated Biotech Startup With OS Therapies' Paul Romness

An Unanticipated Biotech Startup With OS Therapies' Paul Romness

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Becoming a biotech CEO wasn't on Paul Romness' bingo card. He'd forged his place in the biopharma industry as a foremost public and policy affairs expert. Thirteen years at J&J, more than 5 at Amgen, and half a dozen at Boehringer Ingelheim had earned him the right to coast into a consulting gig that would enable him to finish out his career on his terms. Then his daughter's best friend Olivia, a teenage girl and neighbor he'd watched grow up, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The ensuing journey, now in its seventh year, put Romness in the position of CEO and Chair of OS Therapies. It's a company formed through a combination of circumstance, determination, and ingenuity that's now shepherding its HER2 and tunable ADC therapeutics through mid-late-stage clinical trials. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we dig into the building blocks of an unanticipated biotech startup. We'll learn how Romness leaned into his personal and professional communities to build a company that's now addressing unmet patient need in osteosarcoma and cancers of the breast, esophagus, lung, and pancreas. And we'll get an update on Olivia, who's now in med school at Columbia University and serving on the OS Therapies Board of Directors. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
49:1204/11/2024
Building On Pandemic Progress With Barinthus Biotherapeutics' Bill Enright

Building On Pandemic Progress With Barinthus Biotherapeutics' Bill Enright

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. It might just be coincidence, but it sure seems like Bill Enright has a knack for making big moves at inopportune times, then turning the expected outcome on its ear. For example, he signed on as CEO at Altimmune when the company was struggling mightily. Enright had a turnaround plan in hand, but as he was in the thick of a non-deal road show to execute said plan, Lehmen Brothers collapsed. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we'll learn in great detail how Altimmune escaped that death knell. Later, he joined his current company, Barinthus Biotherapeutics, mere months before the Covid pandemic. That was shaky for a hot minute, but it turned out fortuitous when, against his better judgment, he enabled a pivot that became foundational to the company's go-forward plan. We'll learn how he flipped the script on that crisis, too. Tune in for these, and other harrowing tales from the trenches. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
44:1428/10/2024
Obesity Tx End-Around With Skye Bioscience's Punit Dhillon

Obesity Tx End-Around With Skye Bioscience's Punit Dhillon

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. While the trend toward CB1 inhibition for obesity took a small hit with the release of Novo Nordisk's small molecule oral cannabinoid receptor (CB1) inverse agonist monlunabant last month, Skye Bioscience Chairman and CEO Punit Dhillon is shaking it off. He's confident that his company's antibody-based approach to CB1 inhibition will make a moot point of the neuropsychiatric side effects that put a damper on Novo's data. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we're digging into the uber-hot business of weight loss therapeutics and going deep with Dhillon on why Skye's blood/brain barrier-obeying antibody might turn the GLP-1 and small molecule approaches to obesity on their ears. Over the course of the conversation, we explore the ins-and-outs of the business of metabolic health, a space that's churning out one blockbuster after another. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:02:4121/10/2024
Biotech C-Suite Construction With Allan Shaw

Biotech C-Suite Construction With Allan Shaw

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Allan Shaw is back with us this week to dig into the complexities of strategic hiring in biotech. We cover strategies for the step-wise assembly of effective executive teams, the importance of aligning key hires with clinical and regulatory milestones, managing salaries in line with cash runways, the pros and cons of fractional/consultative leadership, when it's time to turn fractional into full-time, and a whole-lot more. If you're growing a biotech in these volatile times, this episode of the Business of Biotech offers veteran insight you won't want to miss. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
51:3414/10/2024
The Peptide Promise With NervGen's Mike Kelly

The Peptide Promise With NervGen's Mike Kelly

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Mike Kelly faced a self-reckoning before he took the job as CEO at NervGen, a company developing peptide therapeutics targeted specifically at central nervous system repair. The veteran of life sciences business development knew the ropes of the biotech C-suite. He’d been a CEO twice before. He knew how to launch drugs, having seen commercial success several times before. He even knew how to sell them—he’d started his career carrying the bag for TAP Pharmaceuticals. But all he knew about peptides was that they were challenging to manufacture consistently and purify. And he knew that manufacturing is where a lot of biopharma companies fall down. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we learn how Kelly reconciled that truth, and how NervGen is now leading the way for peptide therapeutics in spinal cord injury and beyond. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
59:1907/10/2024
Biotech Course Correction With Treehill Partners' Ali Pashazadeh

Biotech Course Correction With Treehill Partners' Ali Pashazadeh

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. It wouldn't be accurate to say that surgeon-turned-healthcare investment banker and consultant Dr. Ali Pashazadeh traded his scalpels for spreadsheets. In fact, he still wields a scalpel quite frequently, and on this episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, he offers a fantastic reason why. Yes, it's a bit of a departure from our normal routine of biotech founders occupying the guest chair. But, Pashazadeh's no-holds-barred reflections on and analysis of biotech breaking points, drawn from more than 2 decades of troubleshooting broken bipharmaceutical businesses and correcting courses, makes for some great programming. Whether you're a biotech builder in the throes of disruption, or feeling lucky that you've been threading scientific, clinical, capital, and regulatory needles all along, this episode offers a ton of insight from the unwritten textbooks on the business of biotech.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:17:1630/09/2024
An AI Awakening With Profluent Bio's Hilary Eaton, Ph.D.

An AI Awakening With Profluent Bio's Hilary Eaton, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Hilary Eaton, Ph.D. was a self-described AI skeptic, particularly as it relates to using the tool in drug discovery. Then, a series of professional and deeply personal life events and medical discoveries put her in a position to confront that skepticism head-on. Today, she's Chief Business Officer at ProFluent Bio, a company that's committed to democratizing access to open-source AI gene editing tools that are custom-built for pharmaceutical development. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Dr. Eaton shares her story and makes a pragmatic case for the transformative value of AI to biotech builders. Whether your bullish or bearish about the intersction of advanced therapeutic development and artificial intelligence, this one's a must-listen. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:14:2623/09/2024
Picking Biotech Jockeys With SR One's Simeon George, M.D.

Picking Biotech Jockeys With SR One's Simeon George, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. SR One Capital Management CEO Simeon George, M.D. has a seemingly innate ability to pick winning biotech builders. Early on, he and his firm got behind CRISPR's Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Arcellx' Rami Elghandour, and Nkarta's Paul Hastings, for example. With nearly 50 biotech leaders in SR One's portfolio, there are plenty more where those three came from. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Dr. George, admits that despite his gifted brain he more readily follows his heart. Still, over the course of our conversation, he shares insight into the decision making processes that have contributed to his success at picking winners as an investment banker and biotech venture capitalist. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
54:0316/09/2024
Embracing Biotech Chaos With Memo's Erik van den Berg

Embracing Biotech Chaos With Memo's Erik van den Berg

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Erik van den Berg is CEO and board member at Memo Therapeutics, and he's a student of biotech chaos. In fact, he's been embracing it with intention for the past 30 years. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, he walks us through the management of that chaos in specific detail. Navigating gluttonous Covid-fueled financial markets. Achieving clinical outcomes during the pandemic. Keeping development on the rails in a protracted financial drought. Creating differentiation in crowded and noisy renal and oncology antibody therapeutic spaces. We cover it all, with van den Berg offering detailed insight into the guiding principles of navigating constant change in biotech.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
54:0509/09/2024
Pivoting To RNA With Circio's Dr. Erik Digman Wiklund

Pivoting To RNA With Circio's Dr. Erik Digman Wiklund

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. This week, it’s another “Business of Biotech-meets-Business-of-RNA” takeover with Circio CEO Erik Digman Wiklund, Ph.D. and guest co-host Anna Rose Welch of Advancing RNA.  While Circio’s legacy is in cancer immunology (it still boasts a cancer vaccine candidate targeting KRAS driver mutations), the company made a bold pivot, of sorts, when it committed headlong to the circular RNA future. Now, it’s in the throes of fine-tuning a platform for the development of novel circRNA medicines for rare disease, vaccines, and cancer. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we go deep inside the story behind the pivot, we explore the RNA therapeutic platform-versus-product appetite among biotech investors, and Dr. Digman Wiklund shares insights into the challenges his company overcame to enable such a dramatic shift in focus. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:04:4702/09/2024
mRNA Upstarts With Radar Therapeutics' Sophia Lugo and Eerik Kaseniit, Ph.D.

mRNA Upstarts With Radar Therapeutics' Sophia Lugo and Eerik Kaseniit, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Guest co-host Anna Rose Welch of Advancing RNA fame joins us on this week’s Business of Biotech podcast for a conversation with the leaders of RNA upstart Radar Therapeutics. The company’s co-founders, Eerik Kaseniit, Ph.D. (CSO & President) and Sophia Lugo (CEO), are making waves in the mRNA therapeutics space on the heels of the invention of a precision-expressed mRNA technology that laid bare the path to Radar’s inception. On this episode, we dig into that science, why it’s timely, and how it fits into today’s mRNA therapeutics landscape. We also go deep on how Kaseniit and Lugo went about navigating the complexities of biotech formation, leaning into their networks andbuilding up a team—and each other—along the way. Their work is paying off, as the fast-growing company is attracting gobs of investor and big bio attention. For more on the technology Radar is bringing to bear, read Kaseniit and Lugo’s recent byline at Cell & Gene. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:03:0726/08/2024
Steering Through Setbacks with AVEO Oncology's Michael Bailey

Steering Through Setbacks with AVEO Oncology's Michael Bailey

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. For all the drug commercialization successes he's played a leading hand in during his tenures at GSK, Genentech, and ImClone—Androderm, Augmentin, necitumumab, and Erbitux among them—Michael Bailey concedes that he's likely better known for his failures. After hearing his stories on this episode of the Business of Biotech, I tend to disagree. While he offers a transparent and instructive look at the failures themselves, I'd contend it's what he's done with those setbacks that defines his biopharma and biotech leadership legacy. Today, Bailey is CEO at Aveo Oncology, a company that saw its own set of challenges during the clinical development of now-commercial FOTIVDA (tivozanib) and ficlatuzumab. Tune in for Bailey's straight-shooting insight on how to turn biotech setbacks on their ear. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
58:0619/08/2024
Leading From Within with ISCT & Kiji's Miguel Forte, M.D.

Leading From Within with ISCT & Kiji's Miguel Forte, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. He's been a big pharma executive. He's a multi-time biotech founder and current biotech CEO. He was once a regulator. He's a physician. He serves on multiple boards. And as of this summer, he's president of one of the most influential global organizations dedicated to the advance of cell and gene therapies (ISCT), and an executive member of another (ARM). Miguel Forte, M.D. simply can't stop finding places to apply his talents and energy to influence the advanced therapies landscape. The experiences he's amassed give him a unique perspective on the industry's path forward, how to navigate the regulatory gauntlet, the role of industry associations and alliances in a biotech's succes, balancing the demands of multi-point leadership, changing the ATMP accesibility paradigm, and more. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Dr. Forte shares generously on all of it. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
59:3712/08/2024
The Allogeneic Future with Poseida's Kristin Yarema, Ph.D.

The Allogeneic Future with Poseida's Kristin Yarema, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Kristin Yarema, Ph.D. thinks the progress of CAR T therapeutics is allogeneic. In fact, she says CAR T-cell therapies have to become a one-to-many proposition, if their early autologous success can possibly live up to the promise of offering widespread accessibility to life-saving treatments. Dr. Yarema is the newly-appointed CEO at Poseida Therapeutics, a company we first covered with founding CEO Eric Ostertag, Ph.D. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we'll learn about Dr. Yarema, how she earned the company's reins, how Poseida is positioning itself to crack the allogeneic CAR T code, and how strategic collaborations with the likes of Astellas and Roche are fueling the effort. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:04:4405/08/2024
Expanding The Proteome with ProFound's John Lepore, M.D.

Expanding The Proteome with ProFound's John Lepore, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Flagship Pioneering’s ProFound Therapeutics is on to something, and it could be something big. It began with a simple question:  What if more RNAs were being translated into proteins? Answering that question took ProFound deep into the translatome, where it’s now studying the full compendium of RNA sequences that are being translated into proteins. Along the way, the young company is gaining confidence that its research will reveal important insight into potential therapeutic protein targets and medicines. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, ProFound CEO and Flagship Pioneering CEO-Partner John Lepore, M.D. shares the company’s journey—and his—as a physician scientist-turned-founder.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
56:3829/07/2024
From The Bench To The Boardroom with ImmunityBio's Enrique Diloné

From The Bench To The Boardroom with ImmunityBio's Enrique Diloné

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. While organic chemistry lectures caused many of his peers at NYU to wring their hands, gnash their teeth, and question life choices, then-19-year-old Enrique Diloné ate those classes for lunch. They inspired him to earn a Seton Hall Ph.D. in chemistry, and to go to work as a big bio research scientist. Along the way, Dr. Diloné got bit by the biotech business bug. It wasn’t easy. A whole bunch of MBA and executive learning programs at Rutgers, MIT, and Harvard, and many years of experience later, he’s Chief Technology Officer at Immunity Bio, which he joined in advance of the company winning FDA approval of ANKTIVA, its IL-15 Receptor Agonist for BCG-Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, in April '24. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we follow Dr. Diloné’s path from the bench to the boardroom, and learn how valuable that rare bridge between CMC and the executive offices really is. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:06:3922/07/2024
First AI Antibody In Humans with Aulos' Aron Knickerbocker

First AI Antibody In Humans with Aulos' Aron Knickerbocker

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Data drives decision-making at Aulos Bioscience. It's also driven the career trajectory of its CEO. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, we get an introspective walk through Aron Kinickerbocker's strategically-orchestrated career path, from his early days in the labs at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Genentech to his leadership of Aulos Bioscience, a company that boasts the first AI-generated antibody in human clinical trials. We explore Aulos' innovative IL-2 antibody and the role AI played in its highly-targeted and toxicity-reducing design, and we do it in pragmatic fashion — Aron's not about the AI hype, he's about the AI data — and in its Phase 1/2 clinical trial, the data is looking pretty good. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:08:5215/07/2024
Drug Delivery Differentiators with Syncromune's Eamonn Hobbs

Drug Delivery Differentiators with Syncromune's Eamonn Hobbs

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Syncromune's Sync-T solid tumor therapeutic platform is, in a word, complex. The company's three phase 1 programs combine T-cell science with a proprietary drug delivery device to target solid tumors, specifically metastatic breast, non-small-cell lung, and castrate-resistant prostate cancers. But, while orchestrating a successful drug/device combination therapy presents unique regulatory challenges and requires a diverse array of in-house skillsets, President and CEO Eamon Hobbs is confident. He's done this before, and Syncromune's lead candidate has just been fast-tracked by the FDA. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Hobbs shares his perspectives on bringing novel drug/device combination therapies to market, and reflects on a career dedicated to the drug delivery craft and demonstrated by his leadership at Antares Pharma, Delcath Systems, AngioDynamics. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:12:3108/07/2024
Topical Ocular Biologics with Claris Bio's Clarke Atwell

Topical Ocular Biologics with Claris Bio's Clarke Atwell

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Built on the back of hepatocyte growth factor discoveries by Harvard Drs. Reza Dana and Sunil Chauhan, ClarisBio is rewriting the ophthalmology rulebook. CEO Clark Atwell acknowledges that it's not the first to bring topically-administered biologic therapies to the front of the eye, but if successful in the clinic, its Neurotrophic Keratitis candidate will vastly improve the patient experience. It will also prove unequivocally that there's biotech business value in front-of-the-eye therapeutics, as opposed to just parenterally-administered back-of-the-eye biologics. On this episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, Atwell shares the stories of his career focus on the cornea, Claris' founding and funding progress, and why there's big, multi-indication opportunity for the company's novel HGF therapeutics in corneal diseases.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
58:0601/07/2024
C&G Regulatory Guidance with Lineage Therapeutics' Brian Culley

C&G Regulatory Guidance with Lineage Therapeutics' Brian Culley

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. When we last caught up with Brian Culley, CEO at Lineage Cell Therapeutics, it was January, 2021. A pandemic was raging. His company was moving mountains to keep its OpRegen dry AMD clinical trial together, and did so despite lockdowns that kept a largely aged patient population from setting foot anywhere near a healthcare clinic. Lineage emerged stronger, signing a collaboration and license agreement with Roche and Genentech later that year. In May of this year, it doubled down on the commitment with a new services agreement with Genentech to support the OpRegen program. All this, while simultaneously progressing its OPC1 spinal cord injury program into Phase 2 and laying the clinical groundwork for programs in hearing loss, vision loss, and neurologic indications. On his long-overdue return to the Business of Biotech, Culley opens up on how the company addressed struggling programs, wrestled manufacturing control issues and delivery inefficiencies in its spinal cord program to the ground, and maintained control of its regulatory progress along the way.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:04:0224/06/2024
True DEI Value in Biopharma with Arcellx's Rami Elghandour

True DEI Value in Biopharma with Arcellx's Rami Elghandour

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. The cell therapy company Arcellx has, by any and every measure, been outperforming its peers. Its stock has rallied on the back of the strong performance of its multiple myeloma candidate, and the promise of its AML, MDS, and solid tumor pipelines is attracting the kind of interest it takes to be in it for the long run. Asked about his company’s rapid rise since taking the helm in 2021, CEO Rami Elghandour cites a few critical and risky decisions, the execution of some specific people on his all-star team, and a relentless commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Before you skepticize, let me assure you: the man brings receipts. As we head into Juneteenth celebrations, and as pride month comes to a crescendo, we’re all seeing plenty of companies putting a DEI foot forward. Much of this is hollow noise. It’s diversity-washing, the DEI equivalent to greenwashing, whereby organizations misrepresent their environmental practices to create the perception of a commitment to sustainability. Arcellx, and Rami Elghandour, are not that. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Rami shares vivid lessons from the rise of Arcellx and gets specific on how his steadfast commitment to diversity has fueled its takeoff.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:04:0817/06/2024
Mission-Driven Dementia Funding with DDF's Jonathan Behr

Mission-Driven Dementia Funding with DDF's Jonathan Behr

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. If there's anyone qualified to analyze an early-stage therapeutic technology and place bets with other people's money, it's scientist-turned-venture capitalist Jonathan Behr, Ph.D.  He built a distinguished venture capital career on the back of an MIT Ph.D. in biological engineering, having co-founded no fewer than 7 life sciences companies, served on or observed the boards of at least 17, and led investments at Pure Tech Ventures, the JDRF T1D Fund, SV Health investors, and now, the Dementia Discovery Fund, where he's a partner. Drawing from all that experience, this episode of the Business of Biotech delivers a trove of knowledge on biotech corporate finance and entrepreneurship, as well as the interplay between business strategy and influences like regulatory and scientific trends. We focus on the spirited neurodegenerative space, where case studies in investment and regulatory success and missteps abound. Tune in here and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
55:4610/06/2024
ADCs Ignited with Daiichi Sankyo Inc.'s Ken Keller

ADCs Ignited with Daiichi Sankyo Inc.'s Ken Keller

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Just a few years ago, Daiichi Sankyo wasn't considered a player in the oncology therapeutics space, and it certainly wasn't a player in ADCs. But then, just a few years ago, who was? Fast forward to 2023, and we see an ADC arena that drove nearly $100 billion in M&A, licensing, and partnership deals, and a Daiichi Sankyo that can rightfully lay claim to lighting that fire. In fact, it was our guest on this episode of the Business of Biotech, Ken Keller, Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO at Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. who made the bold move to jump headlong into oncology armed with ADCs that, at the time, weren't exactly the darling of biotech. On this episode, Ken shares the story of his climb from "carrying the bag" all the way to the Big Biotech C-Suite, how and why Daiichi Sankyo pivoted from its roots in cardiovascular therapeutics into Oncology and ADCs, his reflections on the antibody-drug conjugate market, and a whole lot more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:04:0603/06/2024
Accelerating ADCs with Mythic Therapeutics' Brian Fiske, Ph.D.

Accelerating ADCs with Mythic Therapeutics' Brian Fiske, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Mythic Therapeutics Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder Brian Fiske, Ph.D. broke some unwritten protocol with his rapid and multifaceted transition from academia to industry. He calls his many, and sometimes concurrent, early experiences as an MIT Ph.D. student, a Flagship Ventures Fellow, a Bain consultant, a hospital researcher, and a biopharma consultant indiciative of a young man who didn't want to make decisions. In retrospect, it looks more like the perfect preparatory mix for a guy who's leading a company with a unique approach to a white-hot ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) therapeutics market. On this epsiode of the Business of Biotech, get to know Brian as we peel back the layers to expose what's fueling the rapid rise of Mythic's ADC candidate in non-small cell lung cancer.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
56:3827/05/2024
The Anti-CDMO with CTMC's Jason Bock, Ph.D. and KSQ's Thomas Leitch

The Anti-CDMO with CTMC's Jason Bock, Ph.D. and KSQ's Thomas Leitch

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. This isn't your typical drug sponsor + CDMO story. In fact, CTMC's Jason Bock, Ph.D. says you shouldn't even classify his company a CDMO. He's not wrong. While some of the company's services aren't dissimilar from those offered by a contract developer, CTMC began with a more fundamental mission in mind -- to help early clinical-stage companies like KSQ Therapeutics prepare for and enter their clinical stage on the best possible footing, and with the best possible clinical partner in the MD Anderson Cancer Center. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, KSQ's Thomas Leitch and Dr. Bock join us to share the story of CTMC's evolution, KSQ's partnership need as it advanced its lead phase 1 TIL therapy for solid tumors, how the partnership unfolded and who's on the hook for what as KSQ begins its clinical journey. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
57:3520/05/2024
A New Prescription For PBMs with Allan Shaw

A New Prescription For PBMs with Allan Shaw

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Back by popular demand, biopharma industry opinionator extraordinaire Allan Shaw rejoins the Business of Biotech to expose the murky role Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) play in the last, costly mile of the drug distribution supply chain. Allan pulls no punches in his criticism of the current rebate structure and shares why the model leaves patients and manufacturers stuck with the spiraling tab. He also explains why an election year, all-time lows in public perception of the pharmaceutical industry, and inflation might create the perfect storm for real change. More than a gripe session, Allan offers up advice for biotech leaders entering the fray, shares his own ideas for systemic reform that would reward patients, not PBMs, and waxes on what, and who, it might take to change the broken paradigm.  Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
40:1313/05/2024
New Apps For AI in mRNA With Anima Biotech's Yochi Slonim

New Apps For AI in mRNA With Anima Biotech's Yochi Slonim

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. From San Francisco’s Silicon Valley to Tel Aviv’s Silicon Wadi, software business entrepreneur Yochi Slonim made a name for himself in global tech hubs around the globe. Notably, he was co-founder of billion-dollar Mercury Interactive, which HP acquired for $4.5 billion, and previous to that a leader at Tecnomatix, which sold to UGS and was acquired by Siemens. Those big deals that came on the heels of several other Yochi Slonim software startups.  But Slonim's not in software development anymore. Not for the software industry, anyway. He's now leveraging his tech chops to develop something with far more potential impact: drugs. On this epsiode of the Business of Biotech, we'll learn about his foray into biopharmaceuticals with Anima Biotech, a company he’s been building for the past ten years and which boasts pipeline partnerships with heavyweights Abbvie, Takeda, and Lilly. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
59:1006/05/2024
Circular RNA with Orna Therapeutics' Tom Barnes, Ph.D. and Advancing RNA's Anna Rose Welch

Circular RNA with Orna Therapeutics' Tom Barnes, Ph.D. and Advancing RNA's Anna Rose Welch

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. As if Orna Therapeutics' CEO Thomas Barnes, CEO isn't a enough to draw you in to the Business of Biotech, we teamed up with Advancing RNA Editorial & Community Director Anna Rose Welch to co-host this week's episode. Together, Anna Rose and I press Dr. Barnes on his transition from academia to biotech, the therapeutic proposition of circular, or "O" RNA and why it holds great potential to best linear RNA constructs, the novel, platform- and partnership-based approaches Orna is taking to address B-cell lymphomas and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, viral vector and lipid nanoparticle complexity, and a whole lot more.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
59:1129/04/2024
Physician + Biotech Builder with Tome Biosciences' Rahul Kakkar, M.D.

Physician + Biotech Builder with Tome Biosciences' Rahul Kakkar, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Novel technologies aren’t interesting to Rahul Kakkar, M.D. unless they help patients. Sounds rational, but it’s actually a unique perspective in a platform-crazed biotech industry. Dr. Kakkar’s worldview is shaped by his work as a physician—work he continues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital even as he builds Tome Biosciences, where he serves as President & CEO. Tome, which is developing programmable genomic integration technology, is the latest of Dr. Kakkar’s entrepreneurial efforts—he previously led Pandion Therapeutics to a $1.85B acquisition by Merck and Cordivia to a $2.1B acquisition by Novo Nordisk. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Dr. Kakkar shares why he took on the brainchild of two MIT scientists under his wing, the nascent inflection point for gene editing therapy, how his work as a physician informs his biotech leadership, biopharma’s bad rap, and a whole lot more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:01:3022/04/2024
Commercial Readiness with ImmunityBio's Bobby Reddy, M.D.

Commercial Readiness with ImmunityBio's Bobby Reddy, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. This episode of the Business of Biotech begins with a personal story about my dad and the standard of care in bladder cancer, before shifting to the work that Dr. Bobby Reddy and his team at ImmunityBio are doing to change that standard of care. They're painfully close. Dr. Reddy, Chief Medical Officer at ImmunityBio, gives us a long look behind the curtain at the commercial preparations the company is making as its lead Phase 3 candidate, Anktiva, nears the goal line in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). From grassroots engagement with physicians and urologists to making a global press to share clinical results, Dr. Reddy offers plenty of insight into biopharma commercial readiness, and good reason to hope for nearly a million NMIBC patients in the U.S. alone. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
56:5415/04/2024
Precision Drug Delivery with Ampersand Biomedicines' Jason Gardner, D.Phil.

Precision Drug Delivery with Ampersand Biomedicines' Jason Gardner, D.Phil.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Ampersand Biomedicines CEO Jason Gardner, D.Phil. first took the leap from a global pharmaceutical giant to a startup at the forefront of transplant medicine innovation. Since that time, he's seen most of the ups and the downs that come with biotech leadership, and in his latest venture with the Flagship Pioneering-backed Ampersand, he's putting all those hard-fought lessons to good use. On this episode of the Business of Biotech -- the final (finally!) of several recorded at the JPM Healthcare Conference in January -- Gardner shares how and why he's applying his experience to the buildout of a precision medicine platform company, his thoughts on how big data and AI are influencing the precision medicine space and putting the "tech" in "techbio," his company's acquisition strategy, most recently demonstrated by Ampersand's acquisition of AbCheck, why "paranoid optimism" is central to his company's culture, and much, much more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
49:4708/04/2024
Funding Alzheimer's Tx Dev with ADDF's Karen Harris

Funding Alzheimer's Tx Dev with ADDF's Karen Harris

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. We've really been looking forward to dropping this episode with Karen Harris, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Mission-Related Investing at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. While the markets have warmed a bit since we recorded this episode, Karen's thoughtful perspective on the sometimes tumultuous Alzheimer's therapeutics space is valuable to any drug developer working in the cognitive medicines arena. In this episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, we follow Karen's journey from institutional investment banking to the incredibly gratifying work she does now, helping to fund the novel biopharma companies that are working in earnest to solve an emotionally burdensome and expensive problem. Karen shares ADDF's strategy and offers plenty of insight into the value proposition that venture philathropy offers the biotech community. Tune in!Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
40:1601/04/2024
The AI Impact with Generate:Biomedicines' Mike Nally

The AI Impact with Generate:Biomedicines' Mike Nally

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Few drug discovery and development concepts are as hyped, and as such, draw as much polarity from drug developers, as machine learning and artifical intelligence. One company on the bullish end of the spectrum is Flagship Pioneering's Generate Biomedicines, which bills itself at the "intersection of machine learning, biological engineering, and medicine." To get a grip on the "generative biology" work it's doing and the AI/ML impact it anticipates in the discovery and development of therapeutics, as well as clinical trials, we sat down with veteran biotech builder Mike Nally, CEO at Generate and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:13:5425/03/2024
Strategic Deals with CinRx's Gavin Samuels, M.D.

Strategic Deals with CinRx's Gavin Samuels, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Gavin Samuels, M.D. found his work as an intensive care physician boring. After earning his M.D., he did that for a few years before moving into intensive care management roles. It wasn't until he left the hospital and entered biopharma that he found his footing, cutting his teeth in business development at places like Merck, Pfizer, Quark Pharma, and Teva. He even headed growth strategy at Lonza for a while. Now, he's Chief Business Officer and General Partner at CinRx Pharma, where a deep pipeline of early- to late-stage candidates keeps him on his dealmaking toes. Within minutes of our conversation, Dr. Sameuls' introspective reflections on biotech dealmaking and negotiations planted this episode firmly on the Business of Biotech podcast highlight reel. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
47:5218/03/2024
Serial Success With Triumvira's Rob Williamson

Serial Success With Triumvira's Rob Williamson

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Rob Williamson's mind and hands have shaped more than 20 biotech startups, leading some to IPO and landing others firmly in Big Bio through acquisition by companies like Merck. Hanging around as many successful exits as Williamson has seen, one might become expert via osmosis. But Williamson isn't passive about honing his vision for progressive therapeutic dealmaking. He's an active leader, and for this episode of the Business of Biotech, he took a breather from a hectic agenda at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to share some introspection on the work he's done, the work he's doing at Triumvira with T-cell therapeutics in oncology, the big opportunities in cancer therapeutics, and what's coming next.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
31:3211/03/2024
The Innovator's Dilemma with Lumen Bioscience's Brian Finrow, J.D.

The Innovator's Dilemma with Lumen Bioscience's Brian Finrow, J.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. In biotech, when "one of these things doesn't look like the other one," it can be a blessing or a curse. On one hand, scientific novelty is praised and rewarded. On the other, unfamiliarity breeds skepticism from the investment community. Brian Finrow, J.D. embraces that reality and the challenges that come with it. Despite an approach to developing antibodies and other biologics that looks decidedly different--they're developed from spirulina cell lines and, in some cases, designed for oral administration (gasp!)--Lumen Biosciences has won hard-fought funding from some nontraditional sources to continue its mission to democratize biologics. Finrow is Co-Founder & CEO at Lumen, and now a two-time guest of the Business of Biotech. He's a Harvard J.D., but don't hold that against him. He's one of the most approachable and transparent founders we've enjoyed the pleasure of hosting, and he didn't disappoint when we sat down for this talk in San Francisco. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
50:4304/03/2024
Precision Radiopharmaceuticals with Ratio's Jack Hoppin, Ph.D.

Precision Radiopharmaceuticals with Ratio's Jack Hoppin, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Multimodal approaches to the delivery of radiologically active compounds have created a fertile environment to for players in the space to put on a precision medicine clinic, so to speak. What’s more, Radiopharmaceuticals create a unique business opportunity given the closely-related and necessary companion diagnostic arena. On today’s episode of the Business of Biotech, recorded in San Francisco, we sit down with Dr. Mark Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, a company that’s well-positioned in the space with a fresh Series B and the foundation of a tunable radiotherapeutic that Dr. Hoppin says addresses the delivery, safety and efficacy challenges long associated with radiopharmaceuticals in the treatment of solid cancers. We also discuss how this mathemetician-turned biotech CEO has navigated the leadership of boards, employees, and investors on his journey.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
40:3826/02/2024
Managing Mergers With Sail Biomedicines' Guillaume Pfefer, Ph.D.

Managing Mergers With Sail Biomedicines' Guillaume Pfefer, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. While you might be aware that Sail Biomedicines  was just formed up in Q4 of last year, the product of Flagship Pioneering’s decision to merge Senda Biosciences and Laronde, two of its programmable medicine platform companies. What you likely haven’t heard is the inside story on how the merger was executed, how the two companies are integrating their talent, IP, and resources, and what Sail Biomedicines CEO Dr. Guillaume  Pfefer and team are currently doing to take the fruits of the company’s platform into the clinic.  On this episode  of the Business of Biotech, Dr. Pfefer takes us under the hood of Sail Biomedicines and its mission to marry evolution and AI to develop programmable medicines based on eRNA.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
51:0719/02/2024
Reprogramming Human Cells With bit.bio's Mark Kotter, M.D.

Reprogramming Human Cells With bit.bio's Mark Kotter, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. The concept of programmable biology is fueling a new breed of biotech, one that requires the marriage of computational and traditional science (and both computational and traditional scientists) on the entire journey from discovery to commercial.  Bit.bio is exemplary of this new breed. Its CEO, Dr. Mark Kotter doesn’t pull any punches when addressing the complexity involved in building out the company’s capabilities. At the discovery stage alone, bit.bio has hired – and integrated – stem cell biologists, synthetic biologists, genetic engineering experts, cellular biologists, sequencing experts, data scientists, bioinformatics pros, and machine learning experts. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, recorded in San Francisco during JPM Week, we catch up with Dr. Kotter on the work bit.bio is doing, how it’s doing it, and how he and his leadership team are recruiting and retaining a new breed of biotech talent to sustain the effort. Let’s give it a listen. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
45:5112/02/2024
Inhalable mRNA with Ethris' Carsten Rudolph, Ph.D.

Inhalable mRNA with Ethris' Carsten Rudolph, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Without doubt, the grand and collaborative experiment that was the mRNA COVID vaccine contributed mightily to the pandemic response and continues to save lives untold. It also demonstrated the collective power of public/private partnership in biopharma. Having acknowledged that, no first iteration of a new technology is ever the best iteration of that technology. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, we welcome Carsten Rudolph, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of a company that recognizes this room for improvement. Ethris is developing mRNA-based candidates for the treatment of respiratory viral infections and rare pulmonary diseases, in addition to mucosal, multivalent, and mutation-agnostic prophylactic vaccines.   Dr. Rudolph explains the concept, the business case, and how he's navigating Ethris toward a better treatment and vaccine paradigm in the wake of the pandemic. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
46:5905/02/2024
Biotech Is Back with Allan Shaw

Biotech Is Back with Allan Shaw

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. The Business of Biotech took a trip to San Francisco for the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, that most target-richest of environments for those of us who like talking shop with biotech builders. The results of that trip will feed the next several weeks of Business of Biotech podcast programming, and we're kicking things off with everyone's favorite life sciences CFO, Allan Shaw. On this episode, Allan shares what's driving the cautious optimism for biotech's return, pointing to factors like December's flurry of M&A activity, interest rate reductions, and easing inflation as just cause for the bullish sentiment that was palpable at the conference. We also discuss what could shift the tailwinds, namely the election year wildcard, and why biotech could benefit from a metered comeback. Come for the facts, stay for the Shawisms!Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
51:0229/01/2024
Multimodal R&D Management with Incyte's Jim Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

Multimodal R&D Management with Incyte's Jim Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Success at multimodal, multi-indication, deep-pipelined Incyte—where commercial operations are as familiar as pre-discovery activity is—begins at the earliest opportunity to achieve research and discovery efficiencies. The company’s a bit larger than those we typically cover on the Business of Biotech, and that’s okay! Sometimes, the smartest approach to creating your own masterpiece is to study the masters On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Incyte’s Group Vice President and head of its Inflammation and AutoImmunity Group, Jim Lee, M.D., Ph.D. for a dissection of the company’s approach to the comprehensive and efficient R&D that leads to repeated clinical and commercial success. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
50:3122/01/2024
Building A Biotech Hub with Intellia Therapeutics' John Leonard, M.D.

Building A Biotech Hub with Intellia Therapeutics' John Leonard, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. We spend a lot of time talking with our guests about building biotech companies. That’s true of this episode too, but today we’re taking a step further with John Leonard, M.D., longtime CEO at Intellia Therapeutics. In addition to how he’s built late-clinical stage Intellia, Dr. Leonard shares the foundational elements of a biotech community, particularly around rapidly-advancing technologies such as CRISPR,  and what biotech ecosystems offer emerging biotechs in terms of resources, intellectual property, and support. Turns out that despite his proximity, Boston isn’t the prerequisite it used to be. This is an instructive conversation with an industry vet who’s happy to share the wealth of his knowledge. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
55:0315/01/2024
Art Of The Pivot with Elevation Oncology's Joe Ferra

Art Of The Pivot with Elevation Oncology's Joe Ferra

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Relatively new CEO Joseph Ferra has orchestrated some pretty significant change at Elevation Oncology in the two(ish) years since the Business of Biotech last hosted the company.  In that short time, Ferra advance from CFO to CEO, a move that aligned very closely with the company's difficult decision to shelve the late phase 2 anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody candidate it was founded on. Those big moves set the stage for Elevations' new lead candidate, a phase 1 Claudin18.2 target in the oh-so-hot ADC (antibody drug conjugate) space.  On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we go behind the scenes to learn why and how those daring moves were made, and how Elevation navigated the gauntlet of risk it assumed when it embraced disruption in a not-so-shiny biotech market. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
49:5608/01/2024
CDMO Collab with Scorpius BioManufacturing's Steve Lavezoli  + Fina Biosolutions' Dr. Andrew Lees

CDMO Collab with Scorpius BioManufacturing's Steve Lavezoli + Fina Biosolutions' Dr. Andrew Lees

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. A new year marks a fresh start for biotech partnerships, and to kick off 2024, we're highlighting a good one. Fina Biosolutions' Dr. Andrew Lees recently signed on with Scorpius BioManufacturing to support his company's growth plan. On today's episode of the Business of Biotech, Lees sits down with Scorpius VP of commercial operations Steve Lavezoli for a frank conversation on the ups, downs, and expectations of a biotech + CDMO relationship. In addition to contracts and master service agreements, the pair walk us through the day-to-day execution of the partnership and responsibilities of those involved in it. If you're considering signing on with an outsourced manufacturing partner, or thinking about making a switch, you won't want to miss this episode. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
51:4101/01/2024
Biotech Down Under with BiomeBank's Dr. Sam Costello

Biotech Down Under with BiomeBank's Dr. Sam Costello

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Merry Christmas, Business of Biotechers! On this Christmas Day release, we’re taking a trip to the land down under to visit with Dr. Sam Costello, a former gastroenterologist-turned managing director and co-founder at Adelaide, Australia-based BiomeBank. We covered some ground on this one, most notably the unique path BiomeBank took to chalking up the first donor-derived microbiome therapeutic approval of its kind, anywhere in the world.  In a segment of biotech that’s been particularly battered of late, that’s a big, big win. We also talked about what’s behind Australia’s foray onto the global biotech scene, the public/private partnerships supporting that growth, why U.S. biotechs, in particular, are flocking there to conduct clinical trials, and whether Foster’s is really Australian for beer. Don’t miss it!Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:06:1325/12/2023
IL-2 Program Profits with Bonum's Drs. John Mulligan and Neela Patel

IL-2 Program Profits with Bonum's Drs. John Mulligan and Neela Patel

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, we welcome two extraordinary guests - Dr. Neela Patel, a molecular biologist-turned-Chief Business Officer, and Dr. John Mulligan, an academic-turned-founder of newly-formed Bonum Therapeutics. Together, Neela and John will pull back the curtain on Bonum's transition from its predecessor, Good Therapeutics, which was fueled by a high-profile asset sale to Roche. The asset, a PD-1-regulated IL-2 program, was a product of a platform that the new Bonum retains, and its sale to Roche was orchestrated by Dr. Patel. You've seen the terms of the deal in the news, but on this episode, you'll get the inside scoop on how the deal was done, how it set Bonum up for future paltform-driven succes, and how these two leaders retained its IP and its people through a fast, unique, and disruptive acquisition. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:08:4218/12/2023
Public Sector Forged, Private Sector Tested with Renovaro BioSciences' Mark Dybul, M.D.

Public Sector Forged, Private Sector Tested with Renovaro BioSciences' Mark Dybul, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. During his leadership of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief during the George W. Bush administraion, Dr. Mark Dybul, M.D. shepherded programs credited with saving more than  25 million lives. For many years after that public service drew to a close, he continued the mission as executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria--working in lockstep with not only the world's leading scientists, but the likes of Bono and Sir Elton John along the way. But, it wasn't all glamor and heroics. Dybul had to influence some decidedly conservative global political machines of the importance of addressing the AIDS epidemic, particularly, at the time, in Africa. He had to fight through federal and global beuracracies for every dime of funding earned. His leadership required resolve in the face of complexity and adversity. Nothing could have better prepared him for biotech leadership, which has dealt Dr. Dybul an unfair share of unique adversity that's, quite frankly, the stuff of a Dateline NBC episode. On this epsiode of the Business of Biotech podcast, Dybul, CEO at Renovaro Biosciences, gets introspective on leadership forged in the fires of public service and battle-tested in the private sector.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Listen & Watch tab at bioprocessonline.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: [email protected] Matt Pillar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpillar/
01:03:4011/12/2023