Business Of Biotech

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Independent Board Director and five-time public company CFO Alan Shaw returns to the show for an update on current biotech financing and the strategies needed to secure capital now. Allan explains how biotech investors price risk as the market opens back up, the importance of valuation discipline, and the financing choices that separate “available capital” from “accessible capital.” Allan also discusses the trade-offs inherent to different funding types. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, David Craig, Cofounder, President, and CEO at Sarcomatrix, explains why the old biotech playbook breaks down in today’s funding environment and what it takes to build a lean virtual drug development company without institutional financing. Craig describes practical financing paths, hard truths about costs, and the tradeoffs that make a rare disease program investable through alternative fundraising strategies. He also shares what can and cannot be outsourced, and how regulatory sequencing shapes financial planning and timelines. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Olivier Litzka, Partner at Andera Partners, talks about what it really takes for biotech companies to attract capital, stay focused, and survive the moments when biology and execution punch back. Olivia also discusses a collaborative effort in Europe to create a stronger public market and investor base, and what the emergence of AI and Chinese biotech means for building tomorrow's biotech companies. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Omar Khalil, Managing Director at Santé Ventures, describes forming and funding startups and early-stage biotech companies with a focus on clinical data and differentiation as the key value drivers. Omar talks about his interest in 'undruggable targets,' what's happening with the IPO market, an investor shift from biology risk to commercial risk, and building companies through a venture creation process. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Brian Sullivan, CEO at Celcuity, talks about winning the company's first FDA approval for Revtorpyk, a kinase inhibitor for breast cancer patients, and why targeting an “untreated disease mechanism” can beat chasing a single mutation. Brian also discusses the process for licensing a shelved Pfizer asset for development, designing Phase 3 trials that challenge assumptions, the benefits of FDA's Real-Time Oncology Review, and managing downside risk while advancing new indications, all while building a launch-ready company without losing pipeline momentum. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Paul Hastings, Founding CEO and Board Member at Nkarta, an allogeneic cell therapy developer, talks about building off-the-shelf CAR NK cell therapies for autoimmune disease. Paul is candid about problems with clinical trial infrastructure in the U.S., what it will take to fix trial access (biotechs should actively facilitate patient access to trials and work with community health centers to establish new trial sites), and why biotech leaders have a responsibility to speak up about federal policies shaping the life sciences innovation ecosystem. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Annette Bakker, Ph.D., CEO at the Children's Tumor Foundation, and Andrew Lo, Ph.D., Finance Professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management and Director of the Laboratory for Financial Engineering, talk about the methods and economics for turning abandoned drug candidates into new therapies for patients. Annette and Andrew share the story of Gomekli, a formerly shelved Pfizer drug candidate spun out into SpringWorks Therapeutics, and approved in 2025 for NF Type 1 tumors (Merck KGaA subsequently acquired SpringWorks for $3.9 billion). They also detail plans for bringing more shelved candidates back into development, using a shared data infrastructure and a matchmaking tool to pair interested drug developers with investors and funding. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Aris Baras, M.D., SVP, Head of Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC) and Co-Head of Regeneron Genetic Medicines, talks about using large-scale human genetics to find better drug targets based on "superhuman" variants. Aris explains how multi-omics, linked health records, and AI are helping developers move faster in the clinic and reduce the odds of failure, while also pushing biotech toward earlier disease prediction and more preventive care. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Matt Winton, Ph.D., Chief Commercial and Business Officer at CervoMed, talks about preparing for the late-stage development of neflamapimod in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and commercial planning for an anticipated launch. Winton talks about CMC and manufacturing scale-up, partnership, communicating with regulators and the benefits of global regulatory alignment on protocols for the Phase 3 trial. He also talks about building value through HEOR and payer engagement in parallel with clinical development, and pricing in the context of policy changes and shifting global launch dynamics. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On the Business of Biotech this week, industry veteran Dr. Jeremy Levin, Founder, Chairman, and former CEO at Ovid Therapeutics, sits down alongside the 2026 BIO Convention to talk about why public distrust and politicized institutions are putting the scientific enterprise at risk. We dig into what biotech leaders owe patients and the public, how innovation and capital can migrate out of the U.S., and what it takes to build biotech companies that last. Dr. Levin talks about his recently published book, Biotech in the Balance: Saving a Strategic Industry in an Age of Distrust, what he learned during the writing process, and offers advice for first-time biotech CEOs. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. This week's episode of the Business of Biotech was recorded at the BIO Convention in San Diego, where guest Maha Radhakrishnan, M.D., Executive Partner, Private Equity, at Sofinnova, spoke about her move from big pharma and biotech to private equity investing, and what makes a late-stage asset deal work. Maha also talks about how China-originated programs are changing development timelines, and where the next wave of CNS and metabolic innovation could come from. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Al Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO at Voyager Therapeutics, talks about why tau is becoming a central target in Alzheimer’s drug development and how gene therapy delivery across the blood-brain barrier could change what treatment looks like at scale. Sandrock shares his current thinking on the amyloid vs. beta debate (it's likely both) in Alzheimer's disease treatment, the role of emerging tools like fluid biomarkers in diagnosis and prevention, and why small biotechs take bigger risks than big pharma. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, William Ho, CEO of IN8bio, explains why gamma delta T cells may have an edge against cancer, including solid tumors like glioblastoma. He also offers up a candid and step-by-step look at what it takes to finance an early clinical-stage cell therapy company through a punishing IPO market and a long cash crunch. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, William Soliman, Founder and CEO of the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA), and Founder and CIO of White Manna Capital Partners, talks about why biotech drug launches so often miss expectations, and how to build an integrated commercialization plan that holds up with physicians, patients, and payers. William also describes the evolution in medical affairs, why standards and certification matter, and how AI and new media channels are reshaping how drug information reaches patients and prescribers. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Tyler Menichiello, chief editor at Bioprocess Online, host of the Better Biopharma podcast, and my Life Science Connect (LSC) colleague, convenes the broader LSC editorial team once again for a midyear discussion on what's happening now in the life sciences industry, and what's to come in the second half of the year. Topics include AI manufacturing regulations and navigating supply chain pressures, outsourcing trends and onshoring, biotech market signals and IPOs, clinical development's slow shift to digitization, the move toward organoids and non-animal models (NAMs) in discovery, RNA modality growing pains, and more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Jeff Jonas, M.D., CEO of Tortugas Neuroscience, talks about the company's April 2026 launch and how in-licensed development assets were chosen. Jeff explains his strategy of chasing fast proof of safety and efficacy in humans, not animals, and talks about what product differentiation looks like in brain disorders, from adjusting indication targets to conducting head-to-head trials. He also reflects on the opportunity with psychedelics, RFK Jr.'s quest to curb SSRI prescriptions, the payer landscape in CNS disorders, and more. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Neil McFarlane, CEO at Zevra Therapeutics, talks about transitioning to a focused rare disease company through acquisitions, and building out a commercial organization. Neil explains the importance of working with rare disease patient advocacy groups, using AI to analyze electronic health records and claims data to identify and diagnose patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C, and adapting to regulatory inconsistencies around rare disease drug approval frameworks in the U.S. and Europe. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Marinna Madrid, Ph.D., Cofounder, Board Member, Chief Product and Regulatory Officer at Cellino, talks about scaling up an automated manufacturing process she co-invented for personalized autologous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) therapies using laser-activated substrates and AI. Marinna describes her work with industry groups to improve regulatory guidelines, Cellino's partnership strategy, the implications of receiving FDA's Advanced Manufacturing Technologies designation, and the future of iPSC therapies. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Wyatt McDonnell, Ph.D., cofounder and CEO at Infinimmune, talks about how single-cell biology and computational rigor led to the formation of Infinimmune, and a new way to discover human-derived antibody drugs. Wyatt explains Infinimmune's 'discovered in humans' antibody discovery platform, how the company was launched and initially funded, and how Infinimmune landed a Merck collaboration worth up to $838 million. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Brett Monia, Ph.D., CEO at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, talks about how antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) graduated from a late-1980s lab concept to real RNA-targeting medicines, and why Ionis stuck with a difficult modality despite multiple setbacks. Brett describes the company's shift from a partner-first model to building a wholly-owned pipeline, commercial function, and an expanded manufacturing operation, and how he as a founding scientist-turned-CEO bridged a skills gap in finance and investor relations. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter . Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions : ben.comer@lifescienceleader.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/