The Big4Bio Podcast

One of the reasons that drug development is so expensive and time consuming is the cost of clinical trial failures. A critical means of accelerating drug development and reducing its cost lies in identifying candidates during preclinical development that have risks that outweigh their benefits and eliminating them from the pipeline before they advance to the clinic. We spoke to Sarah Gould, Direct...

Cryo electron microscopy, or Cryo-EM, enables high-resolution screening for small-molecules or biological ligands, particularly for targets that are challenging to crystallize. One area that technology is proving to be a valuable tool for is the development of lipid nanoparticles, which have emerged as important vectors for mRNA and other genetic medicines. Cryo-EM can be used to analyze the size,...

Despite significant advancements, the field of Synthetic Biology has yet to fully deliver on its promise of a world where we can overcome the challenges we face in human health and the environment by programming biology. Elegen has developed innovative, cell-free technologies that allow it to synthesize DNA with unprecedented speed, length, and quality. We spoke to Matt Hill, founder and CEO of El...

Biomarkers can provide insights into experimental therapies, identify patients who are likely to benefit from them, and improve chances for clinical success. Charles River Laboratories offers a range of early biomarker discovery services, leveraging the expertise of its scientists to identify biomarkers in the early stages of drug development programs. We spoke to Stefan Kostense, director of biol...

Earlier this year, Charles River Laboratories acquired SAMDI Tech, a provider of proprietary mass spectrometry technology that enables label-free, high-throughput screening for drug discovery. The technology cuts cost and accelerates the time it takes to identify a lead drug candidate, enabling drug developers to make critical go-no-go decisions earlier. We spoke to Zack Gurard-Levin, science dire...

Chief Financial Officers in the biotech industry operate in a complex and ever-changing financial landscape. In addition to being charged with traditional financial duties, they must navigate regulatory uncertainties, manage risks, and adjust to evolving market dynamics. We spoke to Kevin Sarney, Life Sciences Practice Leader for Charles River CFO, about the current financial environment for biote...

The high cost of drug development is linked to the high rate of therapies that fail in the clinic. Safety concern relating to the ability for an experimental therapy to bind to more than a target of interest is one major reason drugs fail in development. Charles River Labs is working with its clients to detect off-target binding early in the drug development process using its Retrogenix platform,...

Lateral flow diagnostics, those rapid tests that can be performed virtually anywhere without the need for specialized skills or equipment, have been an area of growth and innovation. The Advanced Lateral Flow Conference 2024 will bring together professionals who develop, manufacture, and commercialize these diagnostics February 13 and 14 in San Diego to learn from each other, network, and provide...

Drug developers face great pressures to complete clinical trials on time and on budget, but challenges like patient recruitment, patient retention, and site selection can cause unexpected delays with significant economic consequences. This is particularly true in the area of rare disease drug development where patient populations are small and geographically dispersed. Arthur D. Little works with...

The Biotech Showcase has grown into an essential part of the start to the new year in biotech as investors and industry executives gather in San Francisco to meet each January. This year’s event offers a dazzling array of content and opportunities for interaction. We spoke to Tina Elder, Global General Manager, EBD Group, which co-produces the Biotech Showcase with Demy Colton, about what’s in sto...

For emerging biotechs, an experienced chief medical officer can provide invaluable guidance, but with limited resources many may feel they can’t afford to bring someone in-house full time. Danforth Advisors has assembled highly-qualified, industry-proven talent to help companies access specialized knowledge in a flexible way—on a part-time or project-basis—who can be scaled as needed. These profes...

Conducting preclinical animal studies pose a number of challenges for biopharmaceutical companies including the need for costly vivarium space, having the necessary expertise, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Charles River Labs’ CRADL, the Charles River Accelerator and Development Lab, offers companies an alternative to building and staffing their own vivaria with state-of-the-art facilities lo...

The financial pressures on biotechs these days are forcing companies to shelve programs, slash their burn rates, and cut employees. In addition to the challenges companies face keeping their teams motivated in the face of adversity, they may find the tight labor market is making it difficult find the talent they need. We spoke Ann Darda, managing director of the human resources consulting practice...

The emergence of genetic medicines, the convergence of information technology and biotechnology, and the growing ubiquity of artificial intelligence represents some of the transformative forces reshaping healthcare in the years ahead. The BioFuture conference, which will be held in New York City October 4 through 6, brings together innovators and investors to exchange ideas, discuss trends, and do...

New York City, in addition to being a financial capital of the world, is also a major center for biotech. The New York/New Jersey region has long had the presence of top academic research institutions and a large number of top pharmaceutical companies, but it is also the top region for funding from the National Institutes of Health and third in terms of biotech jobs. We spoke to Nancy Kelley, pres...

The Capital Region, which includes Maryland/Virgina/and Washington, D.C., is home to the federal government, including the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The region is fourth largest in terms of biotech jobs and sixth in venture capital funding. We spoke to Ulyana Desiderio, director of life sciences for the Maryland Department of Commerce, about biotech i...

Seattle’s life sciences sector has long boasted top-tier research institutions like the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The region ranks fourth in venture capital funding for biotech. The decision by Pfizer to acquire Seattle Genetics for $43 billion reflects the region’s ability to develop innovative companies that build value. We spoke to Luke Timmerman, founder a...

The Los Angeles/Orange County region leads the nation in life sciences jobs. It’s sixth in venture capital, and seventh in National Institutes of Health Funding. As Big4Bio expands with a new edition to cover the life sciences community in the greater Los Angeles area, we spoke to David Whelan, CEO of BiosciencesLA about the strengths of the region, the vibrant ecosystem for industry to grow there...

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the traditional clinical trial model and accelerated the adoption of decentralized clinical trials. Trial sponsors are embracing these new approaches as a way to improve recruitment and retention of patients, relieve the travel burden on participants, and remove geographic barriers to eligibility. The contract research organization Veristat is leveraging virtual tri...

While the development of genetic therapies promises to revolutionize medicine, many challenges remain before this emerging area of therapeutics can be fully realized. Senda Biosciences is tapping into a world of naturally-existing nanoparticles to address these challenges. It is creating new classes of programmable medicines by performing deep molecular profiling and advanced analytics on an expan...

Despite a growing number of layoffs in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, the demand for C-Suite and senior executive talent remains high and companies are having to compete for key hires. They are finding that they need to do more than just pay up for talent to attract the employees they want. We spoke to Leslie Loveless, CEO of the executive search firm Slone Partners, about the current l...

As economic pressures weigh on the ability of life sciences companies to raise capital, there is pressure on them to do more with less. With investors growing more risk averse, companies are taking steps to cut expenses without jeopardizing the pace at which they can advances their work to the next financeable milestone. We spoke to Gregg Beloff, co-founder and managing director of Danforth Adviso...

The pace of science is accelerating, but it can still take years to deploy lab and manufacturing space. This requires large upfront capital expenditures, long-term financial commitments, and often results in rigid facilities that are designed for a single purpose. SmartLabs enables life sciences companies to outsource their infrastructure and accelerate their timelines. Its new CleanSuites provide...

Biotech investors and executives are expected to flock to San Francisco for a set of annual conferences in January. The Biotech Showcase has grown into a critical meeting to start the new year. With concerns about the pandemic receding, it is already attracting a large number of registrations. This year’s event offers a rich agenda and will include the Digital Medicine & Medtech Showcase the Asia...

Award-winning life sciences journalist and mountaineer Luke Timmerman is once again leading The Timmerman Traverse, a three-day, 23-mile hike across New Hampshire’s Presidential Traverse to raise money for the non-profit Life Science Cares. Timmerman has assembled a team of venture capitalists and life sciences executives to make the hike to raise money to support the organization’s efforts to com...