LSL Virtual Roundtables

PSYCHEDELIC BUSINESS MODELS: PREPARING FOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND COMMERCIALIZATION

• Psychedelic Business Models: Preparing For Clinical Trials And Commercialization

  Following a years-long Big Pharma retreat from the discovery and development of new drugs for psychiatric and mental health disorders, an expanding group of psychedelic drug developers -- and interested investors -- hope to usher in a new golden age of psychedelic medicines. Life Science Leader is pleased to welcome executives representing three psychedelic drug companies to discuss their business models and the challenges unique to psychedelic drug development and commercialization.

• Psychedelic Business Models: Excerpt 1

  Is the amount of new funding and investment available to psychedelic drug developers equal to the level of buzz these products are generating? 

• Psychedelic Business Models: Excerpt 2

  What are the key differences between the cannabis sector and the emerging psychedelic medicines sector? 

• Psychedelic Business Models: Excerpt 3

  Mindset Pharma CEO James Lanthier discusses his company’s collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

• Psychedelic Business Models: Excerpt 4

  The current approval and use of ketamine as a medicine is instructive for developers of other psychedelic substances.  

• Psychedelic Business Models: Excerpt 5

  What is the current state of market readiness with respect to commercializing psychedelic medicines? 

PREPARING FOR A HYBRID J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE

• Preparing For A Hybrid J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

  For nearly 40 years, the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) has been one of the biggest annual get togethers for the biopharmaceutical industry. As such, people spent months, if not years, in preparation. Then COVID-19 came along, and in 2021 we found we had to gear up to attend virtually, which, for the most part, turned out better than most expected. But 2022 brings a new challenge, with JPM moving to a hybrid model, with some people attending in person, and others virtually. We were curious how such a change would impact planning. In this latest executive virtual roundtable (EVR), Stephen From, chairman, EyeGate Pharma; Chris Garabedian, CEO, Xontogeny; and Laurie Stelzer, EVP and CFO, Arena Pharmaceuticals, provide perspectives and wisdom on preparing for a hybrid JPM in 2022.

• Reflections And Lessons From The Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
• Are You Getting The Most Out Of The Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference?
• Is Attending The Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference In-Person Worth It?
• Attending The Hybrid Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference In Person?
• Biotech Showcase And Prioritizing Other Events During “JPM Week”
• Advice And Parting Pearls On Attending JPM 2022

WOOING TOP TALENT: HIRING AND RECRUITING STRATEGIES FOR LIFE SCIENCE COMPANIES

• Wooing Top Talent: Hiring And Recruiting Strategies For Life Science Companies

  Prior to the pandemic, the United States was in one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history. In fact, the country was so ripe with jobs that economists considered the U.S. to be operating at full employment. Fast forward to today, and that situation has multiplied, with more than one million more job openings than people looking for work – at every skill and salary level! Competition for top talent in life sciences remains fierce. So how do company’s set themselves apart? In this latest executive virtual roundtable (EVR), panelists discuss some of the current trends in hiring and recruiting, along with some best practices used in building out their teams. This EVR includes perspectives from Usama Malik, CEO, Fore Biotherapeutics; Paula Ragan, Ph.D., CEO and cofounder, X4 Pharmaceuticals; Jonathan Rigby, CEO, Revolo Biotherapeutics; and Matt Toner, cofounder and CEO, LifeSci Search.

• Hiring And Recruiting Trends In Life Sciences That May Surprise You
• Is Your Leadership Team And Board Aligned?
• The Difference In Wooing Top Talent For A Biopharma Startup CEO
• A CEO’s Perspective On Ensuring Cultural Fit During The Hiring Process
• The Use Of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) And Other New Employee Benefit Offerings
• Why LinkedIn As A Hiring Platform Is Providing Less Value
• Using Mid-Year Employee Reviews As A Recruitment Tool
• A Nontraditional Approach To Screening Potential Employees

WHAT'S THE AH-HA MOMENT THAT LED LISA CONTE TO FOUND A BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY?

• What’s The Ah-Ha Moment That Led Lisa Conte To Found A Biopharmaceutical Company?

  At the beginning of an interview with Lisa Conte for an upcoming cover feature in Life Science Leader, I asked the founder and CEO of Jaguar Health, how she became a biopharmaceutical entrepreneur. In this roughly two-minute video, Conte reveals when and where she had her “aha moment.” Don’t miss out on learning the about the rest of Conte’s entrepreneurial journey, and all the slips, trips, and spills along the way, by becoming a Life Science Leader subscriber today.

WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF LIFE SCIENCE MANUFACTURING AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN?

• What’s The Future Of Life Science Manufacturing And The Supply Chain?

  In this executive virtual roundtable, we asked panelists to talk about the current challenges as well as the future opportunities related to life science manufacturing and supply chain logistics. The video includes Bryan Butman, Ph.D., head of CMC, Precigen; Louise Perry, SVP Tech Ops, Solid Biosciences; and Tim Valko, head of global manufacturing supply chain, Atara Biotherapeutics.

• What’s The Future Of Life Science Manufacturing In An Outsourced Model
• A Conversation On The Biopharma Cold Chain
• Is Decentralized Manufacturing The Future Of Cell Therapy Manufacturing?
• What’s Top Of Mind For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Executives?
• The Economic Challenge Of Cell Therapy Manufacturing
• How Efforts In Gene Therapy Benefitted Rapid COVID-19 Vaccine Development
• Does The Future Of Life Science Manufacturing Say “Made In U.S.A.?”
• Combatting Counterfeits In The Biopharma Supply Chain
• Think About The Supply Chain And Manufacturability Before Asset Acquisition
• How Can Certain Disciplines Leverage Expertise And Platforms From Other Areas To Improve Processes And Product?
• What Trends Are Top Of Mind For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Executives?

BACK TO THE OFFICE

• Back To The Office

  Since lockdowns that began mid-Mar. 2020, remote work became the new norm for many, along with a new perspective. From the board room down to entry-level positions, knowledge workers suddenly saw their work and personal lives in a completely new light. More than a year later we hear the rallying cry that it is time to get, “Back To The Office.”

• How A Larger Biopharma Is Preparing To Get Back To The Office
• A New York City Based Biopharma On Getting Back To In-Office Operations
• How A Biopharma Founding CEO Weighed Going Back To The Office
• Is Getting 100% Of Employees Back To The Office Realistic? 3 Biopharma Execs Discuss
• Does Back To The Office Also Mean Back To Travel For Conferences?
• Bellwether Companies And Other Resources Considered During COVID-19
• Is Mental Health And Employee Wellness A Top Issue For Biopharma?

FROM ACADEMIA TO THE BIOPHARMA C-SUITE

• From Academia To The Biopharma C-Suite

  Not everyone pursues the completion of a doctoral degree with the mindset of becoming a college professor. However, there are many who do. And while this tends to happen less so in the life science space when compared to that of other disciplines, it does still happen. As such, we thought an executive virtual roundtable topic of, “From Academia To The Biopharma C-Suite,” would enable us to learn from those taking a less traditional path to becoming a biopharmaceutical executive. In this executive virtual roundtable (EVR), perspectives are provided by Rahul Aras, Ph.D., CEO, Iterion Therapeutics; Steffen Mueller, Ph.D., cofounder and CSO, Codagenix; and Prem Premsrirut, M.D., Ph.D., CEO, Mirimus.

• The Decision To Follow A Mentor From Vanderbilt To NYU
• From Glorified Post-Doc To Biopharma Cofounder
• How An NCI Grant Became The Impetus For Founding A Biopharma
• Industry Partnering With Academia, Lessons Learned From The Cleveland Clinic
• The How And Why Behind Mirimus Getting Into The Business Of COVID-19 Testing
• How COVID-19 Provided Opportunities For Startups To Prove Their Mettle
• 3 Biopharma Execs On Bringing A Startup Out Of Academia
• Outfitting A Lab Via Used Equipment, And Other Startup Pearls Of Wisdom

FIRST-TIME CEOS: FIRSTHAND TALES OF THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

• First-Time CEOs: Firsthand Tales Of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

  Since the CEO position comes with such high expectations and stress, we thought it would be interesting to speak with three first-time CEOs to hear their tales of the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this executive virtual roundtable (EVR), perspectives are provided by Roger Crystal, CEO, Opiant Pharmaceuticals; Frank Lee, CEO, Forma Therapeutics; and Ivana Magovcevic-Liebisch, Ph.D., J.D., CEO, Vigil Neuroscience.

• How A Surgeon Came To Be A Biopharma CEO
• From Big Pharma To Small Startup
• How A Patent Attorney Became A Biopharma CEO In The Middle Of COVID-19
• What Helped 3 CEOs Lead Their Companies Through The Pandemic
• Lessons Learned From An MBA Program For A First-Time CEO
• The CEO’s Role As The Steward Of The Purpose
• How A First Time CEO Gains Employee Buy-In
• CEO Perspectives On The Different Methods Of Going Public
• Getting Through COVID-19 As A First-Time CEO
• What Does A First-Time CEO Look For When Building A Board
• How To Negotiate Executive Compensation As A Company Grows, And Other CEO Parting Pearls

TAKING A LIFE SCIENCE COMPANY PUBLIC DURING A PANDEMIC

• Taking A Life Science Company Public During A Pandemic

  If I said, “Biotech IPOs were hot last year,” it could be construed as one of the biggest understatements of all time. This is because in 2020, biotech IPOs shattered all records. Further, the positive biopharma IPO trend seems to be continuing for 2021, at least thus far anyway. As such, Life Science Leader thought it worthwhile to speak with three life science executives about their varied experiences of going public in the middle of a pandemic. Because while taking a company public may not be the dream of every entrepreneur, it is for many in life sciences, as the high cost of developing therapeutics remains.

• Lessons Learned From Going Public During The Dot Com Bubble And The Great Recession
• Becoming A Biopharma CEO During Pandemic Lockdowns
• From Big Pharma To Biopharma Startup
• Why A Serial Entrepreneur Started Two Life Science Companies In 2015
• A First-Time CEO, A First-Time IPO, And A Pandemic
• Taking A Biopharma Public Via M&A During The Pandemic
• Taking A Digital Therapeutics Company Public Via A SPAC
• Thoughts On Going Public During The Pandemic And The “Muted” Celebration
• What Will Going Public Look Like Post Pandemic?
• 3 Execs Provide Parting Pearls On Taking A Company Public During The Pandemic

MAKING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION A BEST BUSINESS PRACTICE

• Making Diversity & Inclusion A Best Business Practice

  Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is not to be confused with Affirmative Action, the law signed into being in the 1960s, as D&I is tied to an organization’s mission, strategies, and practices to support a diverse workplace, and seeks to leverage the effects of diversity to achieve a competitive advantage. 

• From Bystander To Advocate For Diversity & Inclusion
• From Big Pharma To Small Startup — A Chief Medical Officer’s Perspective On Diversity & Inclusion
• How A New Biopharma CEO Approaches Diversity & Inclusion
• How Two Chief Medical Officers Are Approaching Diversity & Inclusion
• How Upbringing Influenced Diversity & Inclusion Perspectives
• Best Business Practices And Parting Pearls Of Wisdom On Diversity & Inclusion

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO START A BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY?

• What Does It Take To Start A Biopharmaceutical Company?

  As many Life Science Leader readers daydream of starting and leading their own biopharma company someday or leaving the comfort of Big Pharma or academia to join a startup, we thought it would be informative to host an executive virtual roundtable (EVR) with three company CEOs who have done just that. In this EVR, Faraz Ali, CEO, Tenaya Therapeutics; Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., CEO, Imara; and Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., CEO, Verve Therapeutics, share their startup journeys along with some best business practices and wisdom gained along the way.  

• What Formative Experiences Prepared Faraz Ali To Be A Biopharma CEO
• Wisdom Gained From Founding A Company In A Different Industry
• The Impetus Behind Leaving An Established Career To Start A Biopharmaceutical Company
• The Role Of JPM In Helping Place Two Biopharma Startup CEOs
• The Importance Of Long-Term Relationships In Getting A Startup Off The Ground
• What Makes A Successful Biopharmaceutical Startup?
• Executing A Biopharma IPO In March 2020
• Why Startup CEOs Should Be Part Of Every New Hire Interview And Other Pearls Of Wisdom

PITCHING AND FUNDRAISING IN THE NEW NORM

• Pitching And Fundraising In The New Norm

  Raising money for a startup biopharma is a task that never ends, even during a pandemic. This is good. Because while some industries experienced significant financial collapse last year, biopharma was perfectly positioned to provide COVID-19 solutions, which it has at an unprecedented pace.

• Preparing to Pitch In A Virtual World
• Beyond The Obvious Differences Between In-Person And Virtual Pitching
• What Opportunities Does Virtual Pitching Afford?
• Adjusting Your Pitching Strategy
• How Does Closing A Deal Impact Subsequent Pitches?
• When A Pitch Doesn’t Go As Planned
• Pearls Of Wisdom On Virtual Pitching

PREPARING FOR A VIRTUAL J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE (JPM)

• Preparing For A Virtual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM)

  Unfortunately, like so many in-person events negatively impacted by COVID-19 last year, the 2021 JPM conference will be 100% virtual. So, we thought it would be interesting to have a discussion with three biopharmaceutical executives about how they are preparing for this unique JPM and how those preparations are different than what they’ve done in the past.

• A Banker’s Perspective Of Attending And Working JPM
• The Contrast Between Attending JPM As A Big Pharma Versus A Small Cap
• How JPM Has Changed In The Last 14 Years
• Deals Of Consequence That Evolved Out Of JPM
• How To Prepare For A Virtual JPM
• Will A Virtual JPM Result In Less Sense Of Urgency Or Changes In Pitching

MANUFACTURING AND SUPPLY CHAIN RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES AMIDST COVID-19

• Manufacturing And Supply Chain Risk Mitigation Strategies Amidst COVID-19

  Three biopharmaceutical industry executives to discuss some of the thinking and actions taken to mitigate risk to their companies’ manufacturing and supply chains amidst a pandemic.

TACKLING HR IN BIOPHARMA DURING A PANDEMIC

• Tackling HR In Biopharma During A Pandemic

  Three biopharma VPs of HR discuss the challenges of continued operations amidst COVID-19 initiated lockdowns, along with some of the best practices implemented. 

ACCELERATING YOUR BIOPHARMA STARTUP'S PATH TO THE CLINIC

• Accelerating Your Biopharma Startup’s Path To The Clinic

  Pamela Contag, Ph.D., cofounder and CEO of BioEclipse Therapeutics, and Dara Lockert, founder and executive director of Spannerwerks, a consultancy, share best practices and lessons learned during the drive to get a biopharma startup to the clinic as quickly as possible. 

• Applying A Partnering Approach To Meeting Unmet Medical Need
• Why Taking A Partnered Approach To The Clinic Makes Sense
• Determining What Expertise Is Needed In A Partnered Drug Development Model
• How To Create Interest And A Sense Of Urgency In An Outsourced Drug Development Model
• The Outsourcing Selection Process
• What To Avoid And Pearls Of Wisdom In A Partnered Drug Development Model

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FRONT LINES OF COVID-19: A CEO ROUNDTABLE ON TECHNOLOGIES IN DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC

• What’s Happening On The Front Lines of COVID-19: A CEO Roundtable On Technologies In Development For The Current Pandemic

  Four biopharma CEOs and cofounders discuss what their organizations are doing to spur the development of diagnostic tests, therapeutics, and vaccines to turn the tide on the COVID-19 pandemic.

• What is XPRIZE Doing To Help In The Battle Of COVID-19?
• The Founding Of COVAXX — A Dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine Company
• The How And Why Behind A CNS Company Pivoting To Develop A Treatment For COVID-19
• What Is Lineage Cell Therapeutics Doing To Tackle COVID-19?
• How The FDA Has Been Able To Adjust To Accelerate COVID-19 Therapeutic Development
• Thoughts On Vaccinating For COVID-19 — Should A Vaccine Be Approved

LEADING THROUGH ADVERSITY: A CEO ROUNDTABLE ON DRUG DEVELOPMENT DURING A PANDEMIC

• Leading Through Adversity: A CEO Roundtable On Drug Development During A Pandemic

  Four biopharma CEOs discuss with Rob Wright, chief editor of Life Science Leader, how they are leading their organizations and conducting drug development during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• How Is The Overall Environment For Development Of Innovative Medicines And Biomedical Technologies?
• Adapting Drug Development During COVID-19
• How Has COVID-19 Stalled Drug Development
• Challenges And Solutions Around Diversity And Inclusion In Clinical Trials During A Pandemic
• The Pandemic As A Catalyst For Drug Development
• Six Minutes On Helping Elected Officials With Win-Win Policy Making

PREPARING FOR THE NEW BIOMANUFACTURING FRONTIER: A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH FLUGEN'S ANDY SKIBO

• Preparing For The New Biomanufacturing Frontier: A Fireside Chat With FluGen’s Andy Skibo

  At the Generis 2020 American Biomanufacturing Summit (July 21 – 23), Andy Skibo, chief manufacturing officer for FluGen, discusses the challenges around developing and delivering a COVID-19 vaccine on a significantly shortened timeframe, plus other opportunities for improving biomanufacturing and its supply chain to support future therapies.

BIOPHARMA AND THE MANAGEMENT OF WALL ST. DURING A PANDEMIC

• Biopharma And The Management Of Wall St. During A Pandemic

  The volatility of the U.S. stock market in the first half of 2020 has even the heartiest investor queasy. But how about the leaders of such publicly traded companies? We conduct a virtual roundtable with three CEOs of publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies to learn how they are leading their organizations while also managing the expectations of Wall Street during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Taking On Debt And Executing A Public Offering During COVID-19
• Why Chimerix Pivoted To Take On COVID-19
• Managing Clinical Trials And Supply Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak
• Serving Traumatic Injury Patients And Surgeons During Pandemic Panic
• Biopharma CEOs Weigh In On Working With Wall St. During Pandemic Pandemonium
• AxoGen CEO Details Approach To Crisis Management During COVID-19
• Don’t Let Efforts To Solve COVID-19 Capsize Decades Of Drug Development Work
• Navigating The Delivery Of Data Via Virtual Conferences And Meetings

LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19 — A BIOPHARMA CEO ROUNDTABLE

• Leadership During COVID-19 — A Biopharma CEO Roundtable

  Five biopharmaceutical industry CEOs discuss challenges their company's have faced, along with best practices implemented in managing through the COVID-19 chaos.

• Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing During COVID-19
• Best Practices For Working In The Lab Through COVID-19
• Biopharmaceutical Company Fundraising And Investor Meetings During COVID-19
• When COVID-19 Presses Your Company To Make An R&D Pivot
• Working Remotely In Biopharma During COVID-19

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT HARIRI, M.D., PH.D., CEO AND FOUNDER OF CELULARITY

• An Interview with Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and founder of Celularity

  A video of Life Science Leader chief editor, Rob Wright, interviewing Robert (Bob) Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and founder of Celularity, at the 2019 CNS Summit.