Molecule to Market: Inside the outsourcing space

Taking on the biologics CDMOs from down under

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Mark W. Womack, Chief Executive Officer at BioCina.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Mark, covering:

• How a tough upbringing in LA led him to the US Navy, and then onto a pathway into leadership
• Why he decided to end his own practice and jump into a senior role within a biopharma CDMO space
• The key factors that led him to relocate to Adelaide, Australia
• The reality that most biologics CDMOs frequently fail to deliver... and why winning requires operating with discipline, and consistently executing at a high level

Mark W. Womack is BioCina’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior to BioCina, he was CEO of KBI Biopharma and Selexis SA, and previous to that, he was CEO and Managing Director of Stelis Biopharma, leading both to significant YOY growth. Preceding Stelis, as the CBO for AGC Biologics, one of the world’s leading global biopharma CDMOs, he led them to nearly a 300% increase in new sales in just two years.

Prior to joining AGC Biologics, Mark served over 20 years as an international management consulting industry leader, guiding many of the world’s renowned companies to achieve record highs in revenue and profit. This included a $20B post-merger integration within General Motors and numerous transformations that generated more than $100M in certified client benefits.

Mark began his professional journey by leading a succession of U.S. Navy units to unprecedented results, including while serving as a combat center leader on a destroyer class ship, and he received numerous of the Navy’s highest honors and awards.

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Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

 

A true nerd of CGT

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Bill Vincent, Founder and board chair at Genezen.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Bill, covering:

• The days when CGT therapies were viewed as just academic... then the events in 2012 that changed everything in the space
• How partnering with Indiana University for its vector capacity led to the creation of Genezen
• Building a team that had been trained really well... by his wife!
• Looking for a PE company that brings more than just a fat cheque
• What’s next for the CGT sector after an over-hyped few years of fundraises... and what areas could be hot in the future

Bill is the board chair of Genezen, a biotech contract manufacturer of viral vectors, cell manufacturing, and testing services. He founded the company fourteen years ago and grew it from his one-person operation to its current 60 employees with an outside investment of $45 million. He has spent the last 35 years working in the consumer products, pharma, and biotech sectors.

Prior to Genezen, Bill was President and CEO at Rimedion, a gene therapy company developing treatments for rare genetic disorders. He currently serves on the board of Cellular Engineering Technologies, a stem cell services company.

Bill discovered a passion for entrepreneurship through his exposure to new business development opportunities in a corporate setting. Upon completing his MBA at the University of Texas, he participated in a two-year executive development program with Philip Morris.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

The virtual and decentralized clinical trials specialists

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Helen Shaw and Dan Henley, co-founders of VCTC.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Helen and Dan, covering:

• Exposing your team to everything, letting them feel the pressure... but always being there to help and guide
• The founding story of VCTC... and the fun and games of dividing responsibilities as co-founders
• How the frustrations of being a patient with an orphan disease shaped the ethos of VCTC
• The uptake of patient recruitment and retention in virtual and decentralized clinical trials
• Finding a powerful niche in the life sciences space to enable you to grow, globally

Helen and Dan are co-founders of the VCTC, a UK clinical trial site that specializes in delivering virtual and decentralized clinical trials.

Helen has fourteen years of clinical research experience spanning academia, clinical trial sites, biotech and CRO, with exposure across study management, medical writing, clinical science, and commercial roles.

Dan is a senior executive bringing 15 plus years of comprehensive achievements in predominantly commercial roles supporting biotechnology, pharma and life sciences companies, through their non-clinical, clinical and commercial journeys.

The VCTC is a UK-based clinical trial site that specializes in running patient-centric clinical trials. We bring virtual and decentralized clinical trials to participants in their own homes.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

Jumping into CDMO after a lifetime as a sponsor

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Bill Humphries, CEO at Alcami.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Bill, covering:

• The role managers, leaders, and mentors have played in shaping his illustrious career in dermatology
• The importance of ‘force multiply’ in getting results and accelerating growth
• Why, after a career spent on the drug sponsor side... he decided to switch to the CDMO services side
• How do the shifting sands in the sector provide a treasure trove of opportunities?

Bill Humphries, Alcami CEO, is an experienced leader in the life sciences industry, previously serving as CEO at Isosceles Pharmaceuticals, President and Group Company Chairman of Ortho-Dermatologics, CEO of Merz North America, President of Stiefel, a GSK Company and Vice President of US Skincare at Allergan Pharmaceuticals. 

Bill also served as Chairman of the Board at Clearside Biomedical, Executive Chairman of Strata Skin Sciences, and a member of the Board of Directors at Aclaris Therapeutics, PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, SKNV, and Bryn Pharmaceuticals. Humphries’ academic credentials include a B.A. from Bucknell University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital, and content agency that helps companies differentiate, get noticed, and grow in the life sciences.

Zero to a billion... A CDMO original - part 2

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector for part 2 of our conversation with Thomas Eldered, Executive Chairman at Flerie.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Thomas, covering:

• The story behind Recipharm’s decision to divest Cobra Biologics that led Thomas to become owner
• How ‘big faith’ and the gene therapy revolution changed the fortunes of the loss-making biologics CDMO
• After the third exit, why did he choose ‘passion rather than pension’? To fuel his love for creating things and building companies
• Flerie’s mission and its patient-centric investment strategy in life sciences.
• The story behind Thomas’ signature bowtie look…

Thomas Eldered was co-founder of Recipharm AB in 1995, where he served as CEO from 2008 to 2021, growing Recipharm from a local Swedish pharmaceutical contract manufacturer to an international CDMO with more than 9000 employees in 10 countries.

He was also the founder of Flerie Invest AB in 2011, where he is currently the executive chairman. Thomas is presently chairman of the board and a member of the board of several life science companies. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

 

Zero to a billion... A CDMO original - part 1

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with part 1 of our episode with Thomas Eldered, Executive Chairman at Flerie.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Thomas, covering:

• Where his entrepreneurial spark originated, and how they created a CMO (before that was even a thing) after several failed plans
• How did the timing of his first exit and having ‘cash during the crash’ fuel M&A to grow Recipharm into an international powerhouse?
• Why did he decide to go public? No one else in Sweden or in the CDMO space was getting an IPO
• A lifetime with Lars (his business partner) and the benefit of a partnership with aligned common interest
• Why he decided to sell Recipharm after 26 years and why leaving the company was the most difficult mental decision

Thomas Eldered was co-founder of Recipharm AB in 1995, where he served as CEO from 2008 to 2021, growing Recipharm from a local Swedish pharmaceutical contract manufacturer to an international CDMO with more than 9000 employees in 10 countries. He also founded Flerie Invest AB in 2011, where he is currently Executive Chairman. Thomas is currently chairman of the board and a member of the board of several life science companies. 

He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

Dan’s the man...at Custom Biologics

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Dan Mamelak, Founder & President at Custom Biologics.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Dan, covering:

• How reading The Billion-dollar Molecule book inspired him to explore a pathway into cutting-edge drug development
• The founding story of his company and some timeless advice not to burn bridges
• How the Canadian conveyor belt of intelligent, talented young science graduates has helped fuel the company’s growth
• Why being privately owned has contributed to the company’s unique culture

Dan is responsible for the company's strategic direction. From the outset of his career, Dan recognized the need for solid bioanalytical expertise to support the drug discovery programs of both developing and established biopharmaceutical companies.

In 2004, Dan established Custom Biologics, a large-molecule bioanalytical CRO that designs and validates assays to measure the potency of biotherapeutic drugs, including therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and genetic therapies. Recently, the Genomics division of Custom Biologics has developed novel isothermal nucleic acid molecular diagnostic tests to rapidly identify human and food-borne pathogens.

Before founding Custom Biologics, Dan was a Senior Scientist at Affinium Pharmaceuticals, an established company that accelerates the development of small molecules into new medicines. Dan holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto.

 

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

 

Celebrating female talent in life sciences

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with: 

• Denise Bowser from Onyx Scientific
• Audrey Greenberg from SK Pharmteco
• Kendalle Burlin O’Connell from MassBio
• Elisabeth Stampa from Medicines For Europe 
• Sabina Ouimet-Storrs from GHO Capital

In this episode, we feature highlights from recent interviews with some of the most inspiring women in the life sciences industry. These women sat down with host, Raman Sehgal, to share their unique perspectives on topics including career progression, COVID-19, M&A, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Listen to the full episodes: 

• Dealing with downturns… and the menopause with Denise Bowser
• From banking to biotech with Audrey Greenberg 
• From MassBio… to the world with Kendalle Burlin O’Connell 
• Transforming a family pharma firm with Elisabeth Stampa 
• M&A Roundtable and 2024 Predictions with Sabina Ouimet-Storrs

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.

 

The power of peptides

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Alastair Hay, Vice President of Peptides at Almac Sciences.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Alastair, covering:

• The story behind Almac’s early bet of getting into the peptide game
• Behind the scenes of the incredible growth journey of Almac from a few hundred to 7000+ people... and some insight into the secret sauce behind the success
• Rising demand for peptides and what makes them so attractive and valuable for various emerging therapeutic areas
• Some of the challenges in developing and manufacturing peptide-based therapeutics include environmental impact

Alastair graduated with a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Edinburgh in 1998, following his first degree in Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde.

He spent 12 years on the operational side of Almac’s peptide business, heading up the non-GMP custom synthesis group and then the GMP process development group. In 2015, Alastair moved on from an operational role to provide technical support on peptide projects for Almac’s global business development team.

In 2020, Alastair took on operational responsibilities, first re-assuming leadership of the Process Development department and then ultimately being appointed Vice President, Peptides in 2021.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues, and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital, and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed, and grow in the life sciences.

 

From Pfizer to CDMO carve-out

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Brett Alderson, President and Site Leader of Novacina.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Brett, covering:

• The complexities of being on the inside of big pharma looking to carve out your site... then transitioning into a customer-facing CDMO
• Leaning into the freedom and liberation of having the shackles off as an independent business
• Pairing world-class, complex commercial capabilities (100 million+ units) with a small scaler clinical offering
• The uncertainty and capacity concerns on the market after that market-shaking deal
• And just why Australia is a hub for global for clinical trials...

Brett Alderson is a seasoned veteran in the pharmaceutical industry predominantly working with the manufacturing of sterile injectables. Brett is a determined and thoughtful leader adept at driving business success and leading through change. He is a champion for customers, instilling a customer-centric culture with transparency and helpfulness. 

He enjoys mentoring and nurturing a diverse workforce with a clear imperative of open and honest communication. Brett has a reputation as an energetic problem solver, acting with integrity and care, and always encourages solutions for a brighter tomorrow by empowering people.

Brett’s career includes more than 25 years at Pfizer, before becoming President and Site Leader of Novacina in April 2023 where he oversaw a 500-member team and the production of more than 300 Oncology products plus several additional sterile injectable medicines for local and global markets.

Please subscribe, tell your industry colleagues and join us in celebrating and promoting the value and importance of the global life science outsourcing space. We’d also appreciate a positive rating!

Molecule to Market is sponsored and funded by ramarketing, an international marketing, design, digital and content agency helping companies differentiate, get noticed and grow in life sciences.