Finance & Capital Markets

  1. Talking SPAC With Allan Shaw 7/27/2021

    Special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are all the rage as start-up financing vehicles go, and they're particularly well-suited for emerging biopharma companies. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, we dig deep into the advantages, limitations, and potential pitfalls of the SPAC with a man who was executing SPAC deals before SPAC deals were cool. Whether you're a biotech investor or a biopharma leader looking to acquire or be acquired, you'll want to tune in to this episode for insight into the special-purpose acquisition company strategy.

  2. A CFO's Prescription For Biopharma Success 3/22/2021

    Friend of the show and life sciences CFO extraordinaire Allan Shaw joins us for a discussion on the steps to biopharma success from an insider's perspective. We discuss the incremental steps that are necessary and common to success in the biologic therapy space, and the mistakes Shaw has seen in his many engagements with new and emerging biotech firms. From capital resource allocation to personnel decision making to preparing for the bubble to burst, listen in as Shaw shares his unfiltered advice.

  3. Biotech M&A Anomalies With Allan Shaw 8/22/2022

    While many clinical-stage biopharmas are contracting or holding the line through the current market slump, Portage Biotech leaders Ian Walters, Allan Shaw, and company are making moves. The company recently acquired Tarus Therapeutics and iOx Therapeutics Ltd., extending its pipeline and positioning itself to meet some aggressive investor expectations. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Shaw dissects the deals, digging into the M&A strategy at Portage and offering advice from the batter's box to leaders of early-stage biotechs.

  4. Creating Competitive Differentiation With Allan Shaw 9/13/2021

    The biologic therapy market is crowded, and judging by the recent parade of IPOs, competition for investment, mindshare, talent, and ultimately share of market is only getting stiffer. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, our friend and biotech business guru Allan Shaw joins us for a foundational conversation on creating competitive differentiation at every stage of biopharma growth. We cover the connections between developmental strategy and the competitive commercial landscape, the moral obligation to differentiate between promise and plausibility, the commoditization of brilliant science, and the necessity to align balanced plans with wild dreams.

  5. Building A Biotech Incubator And Accelerator With Swiss Rockets Founder And CEO Vladimir Cmiljanovic, Ph.D. 8/21/2025

    On this week's episode, ex-handballer Vladimir Cmiljanovic, Ph.D., Founder and CEO at Swiss Rockets, talks about co-discovering bimiralisib with his sister Natasa Cmiljanovic, Ph.D. (and COO at Swiss Rockets), losing his company to a hostile takeover, buying the company back, and building out Swiss Rockets as an incubator with manufacturing capabilities and shared scientific expertise.

  6. Episode 5: Finding Funding In Volatile Times With Ben Zeskind 8/13/2020

    Ben Zeskind launched his biotech, Immuneering, in the throes of the Great Recession. The company earned a $20 million series A round to fund the development of its pipeline at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, it bootstrapped its way from bioinformatics company to fledgling biopharma. On this episode of The Business Of Biotech, Zeskind shares his experience-based wisdom on finding funding in volatile times.

  7. The Biotech Beatdown With Allan Shaw 6/6/2022

    On this, the 100th episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, our dear friend, frequent guest, and business of biotech brainiac Allan Shaw joins us to dissect the beleaguered biotech capital markets. We pick apart what's driving sentiment and how we got here, whether the industry is over-inventoried, what's getting funded , what's not, and why, and what biotech leaders should be doing in an investment landscape marked by hyper-discernment. We also reflect on the podcast journey and celebrate the 100-episode milestone!

  8. The Innovator's Dilemma with Lumen Bioscience's Brian Finrow, J.D. 3/4/2024

    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.

  9. Foundations Of Biopharma Finance With Smital Shah, MBA 11/9/2020

    Smital Shah brings a trifecta of chemical engineering, consulting, and finance experience earned at heavyweight companies like JP Morgan, Leerink, and Gilead to her role at clinical-stage RNA therapy biotech ProQR Therapeutics. We sat down for a deep conversation on the recipe for successful business and finance operations in an emerging biopharma organization.

  10. Risk Mitigation With MeiraGTx's Zandy Forbes, Ph.D. 12/30/2024

    Zandy Forbes, Ph.D., combines science and finance expertise to manage biotech risk. With a Ph.D. from Oxford, a postdoc fellowship, and over a decade as a Wall Street healthcare investor, she now leads Meira GTx as President & CEO. On Business of Biotech, she discusses how her investment experience informs her approach to biotech leadership.