Alicia Zhou
New Leadership At The Cancer Research Institute
Alicia Zhou, Ph.D., the incoming CEO at the Cancer Research Institute, talks about her plans and approach to moving a 70-year old cancer research nonprofit into the future.  Continue Reading..
  • Where Are They Now? Carisma Therapeutics
    9/22/2024

    In three years, Carisma Therapeutics has gone public, entered a broad collaboration with Moderna, and ceased development of its original CAR-Macrophage candidate, in favor of CAR-Monocyte therapies. Carisma expects to release CT-0525 Phase 1 data by the end of 2024.

  • A Systems Approach To Parkinson's Disease
    8/30/2024

    New research into Parkinson's disease is strengthening the connection between an unhealthy gut and brain disorders.

  • Companies To Watch: Aurion Biotech
    8/30/2024

    Aurion Biotech is developing what could become the first allogeneic combination cell therapy for the treatment of corneal endothelial diseases.

  • Google Life Sciences Leader Talks AI Opportunities And 'Watch Outs' For Biopharma
    8/29/2024

    Shweta Maniar, Google’s global market leader for life sciences, spoke with Life Science Leader about how large and small biopharmaceutical companies are using AI to lower costs and expedite timelines.

  • Where Are They Now? Caribou Biosciences
    8/5/2024

    Caribou Biosciences is gunning for a Phase 3 pivotal trial start in 2025 for lead candidate CB-010, after cutting its CAR-NK preclinical activities to focus exclusively on developing CB-010 and two additional allogeneic CAR-T therapies.

  • GLP-1 Drugs Driving Big Budget Impact: PwC's Medical Cost Trend 2025
    8/1/2024

    PwC's Medical Cost Trend: Behind The Numbers 2025 report offers details on the key 'inflators' and 'deflators' impacting medical spending next year. The key inflator? You guessed it, weight loss drugs.

  • Reading The Room In Oncology Drug Development
    7/11/2024

    Oral conversations with the FDA about trial design and protocol can lead to questions, and answers, that help drug developers avoid costly surprises and misunderstandings.

  • Cash Needed For Phase 3 Celiac Drug Development
    6/28/2024

    Industry veteran James Sapirstein, CEO of Entero Therapeutics, discusses the company's lead candidate, a treatment for celiac disease, and makes the case for investors and Big Pharma to step up and help bring it across the finish line.

  • Companies To Watch: Volastra Therapeutics
    6/26/2024

    Volastra Therapeutics is a drug discovery and development leader in the emerging field of chromosomal instability, a phenomenon that can determine how certain solid tumor cancer cells replicate and grow.

Ben Comer_2022_1

Ben Comer

Ben Comer is chief editor of Life Science Leader magazine. He has covered the biopharmaceutical, medtech and medical device industries for 15 years as a reporter and editor, and worked as a senior manager in PwC’s Health Research Institute. Comer was most recently executive editor at In Vivo magazine, where he wrote feature stories, executive profiles and articles ranging from pre-clinical biotech strategy, fundraising, supply chain, manufacturing, and regulatory issues, to global commercialization efforts, market access and environmental, social and governance topics. He has interviewed hundreds of executives and experts at biopharmaceutical and life science companies, academic institutions, law firms, patient advocacy groups, payer and provider organizations, industry trade associations and regulatory bodies. Comer has presented and moderated panels at dozens of industry conferences, convened webcasts with industry leaders, and published news articles and other writing in Scrip, Pink Sheet, MedTech Insight, Generics Bulletin, Pharmaceutical Executive, PharmTech, Applied Clinical Trials, Medical Marketing & Media and PR Week, among others. Comer is a graduate of the College of Charleston and has worked in compounding pharmacies as a certified technician. You can find him on Twitter @BenMComer.