Profiles
Moderna Executive: Global Health Is the Only Way Forward
Determined to enter the pharmaceutical industry at age 15, Chantal Friebertshäuser joined Moderna late last year after stints at Eli Lilly and Merck, overseeing commercial operations in Europe, the Middle East, Canada, and Australia. She firmly believes that viruses know no borders and that global health collaboration is the only way forward.
The Power of Connections: A Startup CEO's Approach to Networking
Priyanka Dutta-Passecker, CEO and co-founder of Swiss biotech startup Healiva, deeply realized the importance of personal connections after visiting patients in India. She leverages her long-standing network spanning from the US to Europe to drive her company forward, emphasizing the critical role of connections in fundraising and innovation.
BeiGene: The Path from a Chinese Oncology Rising Star to a Global Biopharmaceutical Powerhouse
BeiGene is accelerating its international expansion. Christiane Langer, Senior Vice President of Global Medical Affairs, shares her career journey, the company's clinical data advantages, and strategies for addressing controversies over the quality of clinical trials in China.
Exploring the Fountain of Youth at the Molecular Level: How BioAge Labs Extends Human Healthspan
BioAge Labs co-founder and CEO Kristen Fortney is dedicated to extending human healthspan by targeting the molecular mechanisms of aging. The company uses an AI platform to analyze biobank data, developing therapies for aging-related diseases such as muscle atrophy, and has achieved positive clinical results.
Balancing Narrative and Data: Complement Therapeutics CEO on the Art of Science Communication
During his time at Bayer, Rafiq Hasan was deeply moved by a patient who could see leaves clearly after an Eylea injection, which made him realize the power of narrative. Now as CEO of Complement Therapeutics, he leads a team developing therapies for complement system-mediated diseases, with lead drug CTx001 potentially offering a one-time gene therapy for geographic atrophy. The company has launched the i-GAIN natural history study to precisely screen patients and is nearing completion of its Series A financing. Hasan emphasizes that beyond science, simple and clear communication is equally important.
Biohaven CEO's Unique Business Approach: A Neuroscience Innovator Who Doesn't Follow the Conventional Path
Biohaven CEO Vlad Coric never plays by the rules. After selling the migraine blockbuster drug Nurtec to Pfizer for $11.6 billion, he chose to return the company to a small, agile, clinically driven model, focusing on unmet areas such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and epilepsy. This article reveals his unique 'fast follower' strategy, unconventional business deal designs, and his steadfast belief in neuroscience drug development.
Shared Injustice: Healthcare Disparities Facing Rare Disease Patients and the Black Community
Rare disease patients and the Black community face similar inequalities in healthcare access, diagnostic delays, and quality of care. Alexion executive Tamar Thompson, drawing on personal experience, calls for policy reform and highlights the potential impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on rare disease research and development.
The 'F' Word Biotech CEOs Love: Starting from Patients, Reshaping Chronic Inflammation Treatment
SFA Therapeutics co-founder and CEO Ira Spector, a veteran with 30 years of industry experience and involvement in over 500 clinical trials, is betting on a 'fourth-generation microbiome' platform. The platform uses metabolites produced by bacteria in the human body to modulate immunity and has received FDA IND clearance for its NASH candidate SFA-001N. This article tells the story of its journey from a chance lunch meeting in 2015 to now having six drug candidates targeting 85 chronic inflammation targets, and his persistence in addressing unmet medical needs behind his 'two failed retirements.'
Pandemic Response in Professional Sports Leagues Provides Key Insights for Real-World Data Research in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Christina Mack, Chief Scientific Officer of IQVIA Real-World Solutions, states that the COVID-19 pandemic forced public health practices to unfold in unprecedented ways, particularly in professional sports settings. Her research with the NFL and NBA has revealed key information on virus transmission, mitigation measures, and vaccine effectiveness. She believes that with richer data sources and advances in analytical technology, real-world data (RWD) holds immense potential in rare disease research, elderly patients with comorbidities, and patient experience assessment, placing the industry at the forefront of breakthrough learning.
New Mission for Menopause: Extending Women's Lifespans
The menopause healthcare field has shifted from a niche topic to an investment hotspot in recent years. Evernow founder Alicia Jackson discovered that early menopause is linked to a higher risk of premature death and is determined to help women extend their healthy lifespans through telemedicine and hormone therapy. The company has secured $28.5 million in Series A funding and serves approximately 150,000 women.