In this episode of Life Science Success, host Don Davis PhD, MBA, a digital marketer in life sciences, interviews Sabrina Johnson, CEO, and founder of DARE Bioscience. With a passion for advancing women's healthcare, Sabrina shares her career path from biochemical engineering to founding DARE Bioscience. She discusses the inception of the company, its innovative pipeline, including non-hormonal contraceptives and treatments for female arousal disorder, and the unique challenges they faced, like funding and public awareness. Sabrina emphasizes the importance of addressing unmet needs in women’s health, the strategic decisions behind their reverse merger, and her optimistic vision for the future of women's health treatments.

1. Purpose-Driven Innovation: Daré Bioscience was founded to address significant gaps in women's healthcare, driven by Sabrina Johnson's commitment to making a difference in areas with unmet needs.
2. Strategic Funding: Opting for a public company model allowed Daré Bioscience to secure necessary funding for its extensive product pipeline.
3. Collaborative Development: Partnering with established companies like Bayer helps in the commercialization and broader reach of innovative products.
4. Focus on Unmet Needs: The company's approach starts with identifying specific unmet needs in women's health, ensuring their products address significant issues.
5. Leadership and Authenticity: Sabrina Johnson highlights the importance of authentic leadership, problem-solving, and not shying away from challenges to drive innovation and success in healthcare.

In this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast, host Don Davis interviews Christian Engstrom, CEO of Bullpen, an elite club focused on fostering collaborative success in the life sciences industry. They discuss Christian's background, his motivation for creating Bullpen, the club's mission to help entrepreneurs and investors connect and support each other, and the various success stories stemming from Bullpen's initiatives. They also delve into upcoming events at the BIO International Convention and the club's future direction. Christian emphasizes the power of authentic networking and resource sharing among life sciences professionals.

Key Takeaways:

1. Collaborative Environment: Bullpen Ventures fosters a collaborative environment where members can network and support each other, addressing gaps in the life sciences sector.

2. Event Organization: Bullpen organizes unique, engaging events at major conferences to facilitate networking and partnerships among life science professionals.

3. Philosophical Approach: The club operates on mutual support, humility, and leveraging each member's strengths to create a supportive and effective community.

4. Non-Profit Focus: Bullpen emphasizes non-profit collaboration and relies on sponsor partners to cover costs, ensuring that resources are directed towards helping entrepreneurs and small businesses.

5. Future Vision: Bullpen aims to be a hub for DEI initiatives and a power center for collaboration, with a focus on aligning with partners who share their values and contribute to the community's success.

In this episode, we sit down with Aron Knickerbocker, President and CEO of Aulos Bioscience. Aron shares his extensive experience in the Life Sciences industry, highlighting his pivotal roles at RayzeBio, Five Prime Therapeutics, and Genentech. He discusses Aulos’ innovative approaches to cancer treatment, particularly in radiopharmaceuticals and targeted therapies. Aron also reflects on the key leadership advice that has shaped his career and shares his insights on the future of oncology. Tune in to learn about the groundbreaking work at Aulos and Aron’s vision for advancing cancer treatment.

• Personal Motivation: Aron’s dedication to cancer treatment is deeply personal, influenced by his mother’s death from cancer.
• Innovative Approaches: Aulos Biosciences uses immune system engagement instead of traditional radiotherapy, showing promise in early trials.
• Diverse Experience: Aron’s career spans research, business development, and leadership roles, providing a comprehensive understanding of the biotech industry.
• Leadership Values: Effective decision-making, scientific rigor, and a strong team are central to Aron’s leadership style.
• Future Vision: Aron envisions AU-007 making a significant impact on cancer treatment, with aspirations of achieving groundbreaking results in clinical trials.

Paul Edwards is the President and CEO of DoseMeRx. He has been a Senior Executive with Merck and GSK, and start-ups including ILUM Health Solutions, Infectious Disease Connect, and TrackMy Solutions. He has an extensive history in infectious disease, antimicrobial stewardship, and precision medicine.

• Guest Introduction: Paul Edwards, the President and CEO of DoseMeRx, shares his extensive background in the pharmaceutical industry, including roles at Merck, GSK, and various startups, focusing on antibiotics and infectious diseases.

• Pharmaceutical Journey: Paul discusses his career progression from selling macrolides to leading infectious disease units and moving to the U.S. to transform commercial models at Merck, emphasizing the importance of real-world data over clinical trial data.

• DoseMeRx Focus: DoseMeRx specializes in precise dosing for critically ill patients using therapeutic drug monitoring, particularly for injectable antibiotics, aiming to provide accurate dosing information through web-based and integrated models within hospital systems.

• Challenges and Future of Medicine: Paul highlights the importance of antimicrobial stewardship, pharmacogenomics, and personalized medicine in improving patient care and expresses concerns about the current insurance and payment systems based on actuarial science.

In this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Rafael G.
Amado, an esteemed leader in oncology research and development, currently serving as
the President and Head of Global Oncology at Zai Lab. With a distinguished career
spanning multiple leading biotech firms, Dr. Amado brings a wealth of experience in
gene-engineered cell therapies and innovative cancer treatments.

• Professional Background: Dr. Rafael G. Amado is currently the president and head of global oncology at Zai Lab. He has a rich background in medicine, starting with his education in Spain, followed by a move to the U.S. where he specialized in Internal Medicine and later Hematology Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

• Passion for Oncology: Dr. Amado's interest in oncology stems from its complex nature and the multifaceted approach it requires, combining diagnostics, therapeutics, and a detective-like inquiry into patient cases. His career shift towards oncology was influenced by its holistic approach to patient care and his personal drive to solve complex medical puzzles.

• Research and Development Focus: At Zai Lab, Dr. Amado oversees oncology research and development, focusing on gene-engineered cell therapies among other innovative treatments. He has been involved in significant breakthroughs, such as determining drug inefficacies in patients with certain genetic mutations, which has influenced global regulatory changes in cancer treatment.

• Corporate and Global Strategy: Under Dr. Amado’s leadership, Zai Lab has approved six drugs in China, with a strong emphasis on addressing grievous illnesses through open innovation. He is instrumental in expanding the company's global reach, aiming to impact a broad patient base internationally by aligning clinical trials and regulatory strategies across diverse geographic locations.

• Vision and Future Goals: Dr. Amado is committed to advancing drug development that significantly outweighs potential risks with therapeutic benefits. He is driven by a mission to impact oncology treatment on a global scale, with ambitious goals to reach approximately a million patients by 2030 through continuous innovation and strategic drug development.

This week on the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Dan Lunz. Dan Lunz is the CEO and Co-founder of Previse, a pioneering company based in Baltimore, Maryland, that specializes in offering tests for the prediction and earlier detection of upper-GI cancers.

• Background of Dan Lunz: Dan Lunz, CEO and co-founder of Previse, shares his journey from growing up in Baltimore, serving in the Marine Corps, experiencing healthcare firsthand as a patient in the VA system, to studying at Johns Hopkins and working in clinical research. His career path was significantly influenced by his desire to serve others, leading him to the life sciences sector.

• Formation of Previse: Lunz's collaboration with Dr. Steven Meltzer, a professor at Johns Hopkins, sparked the founding of Previse. They focused on developing diagnostic tools for early detection of upper GI cancers based on Meltzer's research on biomarkers. Their shared mission was to improve patient outcomes through innovative medical technologies.

• Previse's Diagnostic Innovations: Previse specializes in detecting and predicting upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The company offers a commercial test called ESO Predict, which assesses the risk of esophageal cancer in patients with conditions like Barrett's esophagus, helping physicians strategize patient management and surveillance intervals.

• Challenges and Leadership Insights: Throughout the interview, Lunz discusses the entrepreneurial challenges of securing funding and navigating regulatory landscapes. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and humility in leadership, learning from rejections, and the critical role of assembling a talented team to overcome complex challenges.

• Future Goals and Impact: Looking forward, Previse aims to expand access to its existing diagnostics across the U.S. and continue developing non-endoscopic tools and medical devices to enhance GI cancer detection. Lunz is driven by the potential impact of their technology in preventing cancer and improving patient care, underscoring his dedication to service and innovation in life sciences.

In this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast our guest is Leonard Mazur, CEO and Co-Founder of Citius Pharmaceuticals. With over 50 years of experience in the biopharma industry, Leonard has been at the forefront of developing groundbreaking therapies for patients with unmet medical needs.

• Background and Entry into Biopharmaceuticals: Leonard Mazur, CEO and co-founder of Citius Pharmaceuticals, began his career through an unexpected newspaper ad, leading him to pharmaceutical sales. His liberal arts background as a psychology major did not initially suggest a career in biopharma, highlighting the unpredictability of career paths.

• Early Career Development: Mazur's rapid career advancement occurred within Cooper Laboratories, an entrepreneurial company where he transitioned from sales to marketing and strategic planning. This period involved substantial growth through acquisitions, providing him with a broad range of experiences in the pharmaceutical sector.

• Entrepreneurial Ventures: Throughout his career, Leonard Mazur has initiated multiple entrepreneurial efforts, ultimately leading to the founding of Citius Pharmaceuticals. His story is marked by significant risk-taking, including personal financial stakes in business initiatives, reflecting his deep commitment to his entrepreneurial pursuits.

• Focus of Citius Pharmaceuticals: Citius Pharmaceuticals, which Mazur co-founded, is dedicated to developing innovative treatments for critical care. A key product from Citius is an antibiotic lock solution for treating infections in central venous catheters, illustrating the company's commitment to addressing complex medical needs.

• Views on Industry and Innovation: Mazur discusses the critical role of the biopharmaceutical industry in global drug development, emphasizing the potential risks to innovation from policy changes such as the implementation of socialized medicine. His insights reflect on the industry's dynamics and the importance of sustaining an environment conducive to pharmaceutical innovation.

In this episode of Life Science Success, we sit down with Marc, an entrepreneur, certified coach, and a beacon of leadership in the life sciences and business coaching sectors. Marc shares his journey from the entrepreneurial services group at EY to founding and leading companies in the life sciences field, and how he leverages his vast experience to mentor and inspire others towards professional excellence and personal growth. Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of business acumen and scientific innovation, and discover Marc's unique approach to fostering success in the competitive world of life sciences.

• Marc Cote's background includes a transition from being a CPA at Ernst & Young to becoming an entrepreneur and certified coach, focusing on leadership within the life sciences. He credits his father, a second-generation business owner, for influencing his career path and emphasizing the importance of a strong business foundation.
• During his career, Cote identified a gap in leadership and soft skills training among highly technically trained professionals in the life sciences. He aims to help these individuals realize their potential not only as scientists but also as visionary leaders and effective managers.
• Cote discusses his journey from consulting at Ernst & Young to launching his own companies that supported biotech and small pharmaceutical companies. He emphasizes the value of leadership coaching to enhance emotional intelligence (EQ), crucial for effective leadership.
• The podcast conversation covers Cote's approach to coaching, focusing on understanding and leveraging one's strengths and appreciating different leadership styles. He highlights the importance of continuous personal development and adaptability in achieving career advancement within the life sciences.