Profiles

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders

  • An open peanut shell sits on top a pile of other peanut shells.
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    Three years after an FDA rejection, DBV sees a path for its peanut patch

    Despite lower-than-expected demand for a competing treatment, DBV’s chief medical officer says the company’s topical skin patch could be a game-changing option for patients.

    Karissa Waddick • Sept. 22, 2023
  • Armon horiztonal
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    ‘Not all rainbows and unicorns’ — a former CEO dishes on his rocky biotech ride

    Armon Sharei took his startup SQZ from a graduate project at MIT to a Big Pharma partnership worth $1B+. Despite the company’s stumbles, Sharei’s enthusiasm for biotech’s future remains.

    Michael Gibney • Sept. 7, 2023
  • Professional headshot of Murray McKinnon
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    Courtesy of Empress Therapeutics
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    Why this scientist left Janssen to help ‘revolutionize’ small molecule drug discovery

    Murray McKinnon, CSO of Empress Therapeutics, believes its drug discovery platform holds the key to treating and detecting many diseases.

    Alexandra Pecci • Sept. 6, 2023
  • Dr. Vivian Cheung, head of Vivian Cheung Lab at University of Michigan
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    A rare disease researcher aims to tackle disability discrimination in new lawsuit

    How a pediatric neurologist is advocating for herself and the disabled community in a legal battle with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

    Alexandra Pecci • Aug. 22, 2023
  • Headshot of Afaxys CEO and co-founder Ronda Dean
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    Putting purpose over profits, this pharma takes on the important issues

    Afaxys is a self-described "socially conscious" contraceptive healthcare company serving an unusual demographic for pharma: the public health sector.

    Alexandra Pecci • Aug. 1, 2023
  • Pills on money
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    doug4537 via Getty Images
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    A pharma banking on the success of past blockbusters

    180 Life Sciences is on a mission to see if the anti-TNF technology that produced a blockbuster could work for a range of other conditions.

    Kelly Bilodeau • July 31, 2023
  • Professional headshot of Colleen Acosta.
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    Permission granted by Freya Biosciences
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    What the 2014 Ebola outbreak taught this biotech CEO about persuasion

    A former WHO epidemiologist is applying lessons learned during the Ebola epidemic to her work leading a company at the forefront of women’s health: the reproductive microbiome.

    Alexandra Pecci • July 18, 2023
  • Professional headshot of Court Horncastle
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    Permission granted by GSK
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    Duty to serve: an Army officer’s unexpected path to GSK

    How Court Horncastle, SVP, business unit head of the anti-infective and respiratory team at GSK, applies lessons from combat to his work in antibiotics.

    Alexandra Pecci • June 21, 2023
  • Close up overhead view of full prescription bottles on stainless steel background
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    Is America ready for a new kind of opioid?

    Tris Pharma’s CEO is “betting the company” on a pain reliever with the power of an opioid and a lower chance of addiction. 

    Alexandra Pecci • June 12, 2023
  • lab tech stock
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    BIO’s CEO digs into the hot-button issues facing the industry

    Rachel King took the reins at BIO during a rocky time. Now, after steadying the ship, she’s brought the trade association’s focus back to the industry’s most pressing priorities.

    Alexandra Pecci • June 5, 2023
  • Trish Hurter on horseback
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    Permission granted by Patricia Hurter
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    A day in the life of a pharma exec: Lyndra’s Patricia Hurter

    How the CEO starts each day with a ride on one of her horses, reduces daily meetings and uses her network to get through crises like the SVB Bank collapse.

    Meagan Parrish • May 17, 2023
  • Daniela Marino headshot
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    Permission granted by Daniela Marino
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    This ‘hot-blooded’ CEO is aiming to transform the way burn victims heal

    Cutiss CEO Daniela Marino is funneling her bold personality and expertise in regenerative medicine into a startup developing bioengineered skin grafts.

    Alexandra Pecci • May 9, 2023
  • Peter Kirk Sermo
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    The 99 seconds that changed this CEO’s life

    Peter Kirk’s marathon story of inspiration and perseverance.

    Taren Grom • April 21, 2023
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    A CMO’s quest to tackle infectious diseases leads him to an eye condition that’s often overlooked

    How an “international” childhood sent Dr. José Trevejo, Tarsus’s chief medical officer, on a mission to fight infectious diseases.

    Alexandra Pecci • April 18, 2023
  • Dave Hering
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    Permission granted by Invivyd Therapeutics
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    He helped launch the Pfizer COVID vaccine — now this startup CEO is hunting a lingering pandemic foe

    All of the COVID-19 mAbs have been pulled from the market. But Dave Hering, CEO of Invivyd, hopes to change that.

    Meagan Parrish • April 11, 2023
  • Chantel Moderna
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    Permission granted by Moderna
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    Moderna exec: ‘There is nothing but global health’

    How Chantal Friebertshäuser is helping lead Moderna’s plan to expand its global reach.  

    Alexandra Pecci • April 4, 2023
  • Christiane Langer
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    Permission granted by BeiGene
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    A rising oncology powerhouse in China, BeiGene looks to strengthen its international punch

    To expand its reach, Christiane Langer, the company’s head of medical affairs, is leaning on connections and singularity over fitting in a box.

    Michael Gibney • March 14, 2023
  • hands connecting healthcare
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    The power of connections for a startup CEO

    Priyanka Dutta-Passecker, head of wound-care specialist Healiva, discusses the importance of tapping her network in starting and running a biotech.

    Alexandra Pecci • March 14, 2023
  • Two grey haired women sit on a bench eating ice cream
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    Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Tapping into the molecular fountain of youth

    Kristen Fortney, CEO of BioAge Labs, wants to improve the human life span by focusing on the human health span.

    Alexandra Pecci • Feb. 22, 2023
  • Multicolored wave lines in the shape of an eye
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    For Complement’s CEO, storytelling could be just as critical as data

    Dr. Rafiq Hasan has his sights on bringing lessons learned at Bayer to ophthalmology-focused Complement Therapeutics.

    Alexandra Pecci • Feb. 14, 2023
  • Vlad Coric
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    The unique playbook of Biohaven’s CEO

    Vlad Coric’s offbeat business strategy paid off once with a Pfizer buyout. Can he do it again?

    Meagan Parrish • Feb. 8, 2023
  • Professional headshot of Tamar Thompson
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    Permission granted by Alexion
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    United by inequity: The healthcare disparities plaguing rare disease patients and Black Americans

    Guided by her personal experiences, Tamar Thompson is aiming to improve rare disease care through her advocacy work at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease.

    Alexandra Pecci • Feb. 7, 2023
  • Ira Spector SFA Therapeutics
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    A biotech CEO’s favorite ‘F’ word

    At SFA Therapeutics, patients are the “focus” of Ira Spector’s approach to changing the course of autoimmune disease.

    Taren Grom • Jan. 26, 2023
  • Viewed from above, a rendering of the COVID-19 virus sits in the center of a clay, red basketball court.
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    Enes Evren via Getty Images
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    Pro sports’ COVID protocols led to real-world data impacts for pharma

    After years of pioneering new methods for using data and technology to improve patient health outcomes, IQVIA’s Christina Mack is on the cusp of a research revolution.

    Karissa Waddick • Jan. 16, 2023
  • pink hourglass
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    A new mission in menopause — extending the lives of women

    Why Evernow CEO Alicia Jackson thinks menopause is the perfect inroad to helping women live longer lives.

    Meagan Parrish • Jan. 5, 2023