Profiles
A Former Heavyweight Pharma Company Sets Out Again: The New Journey of Anti-TNF Therapy
This article reviews the journey of anti-TNF drugs from Centocor's failure to Remicade's success, and focuses on how 180 Life Sciences is extending this mature mechanism to new indications such as Dupuytren's contracture, postoperative cognitive decline, and frozen shoulder, while also developing synthetic cannabidiol analogs.
What the 2014 Ebola Outbreak Taught This Biotech CEO About Communication
Colleen Acosta, CEO of Freya Biosciences, served as a WHO epidemiologist during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. She applies the communication and persuasion skills learned from that experience to biotech entrepreneurship, including explaining science to investors, addressing skepticism, and advancing the development of microbial immunotherapy for women's health.
From Battlefield to Pharma: An Army Officer's Mission Journey at GSK
From a tank commander in the Saudi desert to Senior Vice President of GSK's US Anti-Infectives and Respiratory business, Court Horncastle's career spans two seemingly disparate worlds. In the military, he learned to navigate and lead in extreme environments; in pharma, he has channeled that sense of purpose into relentless drive to advance antibiotic innovation and serve patients. This article reviews his transition journey, leadership philosophy, and GSK's strategic re-entry into infectious diseases in the era of antimicrobial resistance.
Is the United States ready for a new type of opioid?
Against the backdrop of the lingering aftermath of the opioid crisis, Tris Pharma is advancing clinical development of the new painkiller cebranopadol. The drug targets both NOP and MOP receptors, aiming to provide analgesic effects similar to traditional opioids while reducing side effects such as euphoria, respiratory depression, and physical dependence. The company's founder and CEO, Ketan Mehta, states that rebuilding industry trust is the biggest challenge and plans to present the drug's value through transparent data.
BIO Interim Leader Rachel King: Stabilizing the Organization, Focusing on IRA and Accelerated Approval Are Top Priorities
Rachel King had already retired, but BIO's call brought her back to the industry frontline. Facing the turmoil following the former CEO's departure, her primary task is to stabilize the organization. Now, she is leading BIO in addressing the treatment disparities between small-molecule and large-molecule drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act, defending the FDA's accelerated approval pathway, while also paying attention to capital formation, workforce diversity, and PBM transparency.
A Day in the Life of a Pharma Executive: Lyndra CEO Patricia Hurter
In the 'A Day in the Life of a Pharma Executive' series, we follow Lyndra Therapeutics CEO Patricia Hurter to see how she balances her equestrian hobby with company management, and review the company's recent progress in the Phase III trial of an oral once-weekly schizophrenia treatment, as well as her experience responding to the Silicon Valley Bank crisis.
This 'passionate' CEO is dedicated to revolutionizing the way burn patients heal
Daniela Marino, CEO of Swiss biotech company Cutiss, is driving the clinical development of denovoSkin, a personalized bioengineered skin graft, with her signature passion and determination, aiming to change the standard of burn treatment.
99 Seconds That Changed a CEO's Life: From Leukemia Ward to New York Marathon
Sermo CEO Peter Kirk, after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and receiving a bone marrow transplant, went from running only 99 seconds initially to completing the New York Marathon, and founded the 'Run with Peter' global doctor running fundraiser. His story demonstrates the power of setting goals, making public commitments, and community support.
From Malaria to Demodex Blepharitis: A Chief Medical Officer's Global Health Mission
The career of Dr. José Trevejo, Chief Medical Officer of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, began with his childhood experience of running to seek medical help for his mother who had malaria. Today, he is leading his team to advance TP-03 as the first FDA-approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, a condition affecting approximately 25 million patients in the United States.
The mastermind behind the COVID-19 vaccine pivots to the antibody track: Invivyd CEO bets on long-acting monoclonal antibodies
After COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies successively withdrew due to viral mutations, Invivyd is advancing early clinical trials of its next-generation antibody VYD222. CEO David Hering, who previously participated in the launch of Pfizer's vaccine, now targets the unmet needs of immunocompromised populations and attempts to address continuous viral mutations through engineered modifications.