Triumphs and Challenges in Biotech

Our teacher today is John Crowley. It is difficult to appropriately describe John and the Crowley family's story without drawing comparisons to superheroes. Harrison Ford gave it a shot, and the result is Extraordinary Measures, a blockbuster movie he starred in, alongside Brendan Fraser and Kerry Russell.

The movie is based on Gita Anand's book The Cure, which tells the story of John and his wife's journey to save two of their children from a then-untreatable disease called Pompe. Thanks to John, that's no longer the case, and now more than 20 years later, both of his children and many others with Pompe are not only still living, but thriving.

Since that time, John's gone on to build several successful biotech companies, including Amicus Therapeutics and Novozyme. And just a few days before the release of this class, it was announced that John is now the new CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization, or BIO, which is the leading biotech advocacy, education, and policy organization in the world.

There's nobody more purpose-built to give us a history lesson on the biotech industry. Please enjoy this class with the incredible John Crowley.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Art of Investing

(00:05:09) First Question - The Young John Crowley 

(00:09:53) An Educational Odyssey - Naval Academy to Harvard

(00:12:40) Embracing Challenges and Pivots in Life

(00:16:00) The Crowley's Battle with Pompe Disease

(00:23:59) The Biotech Industry's Evolution at the Turn of the Century

(00:26:02) The Promise and Challenges of Gene Therapy

(00:30:54) The Journey of Starting a Biotech Company: From Novozyme to Amicus

(00:32:55) The Challenges and Triumphs of Drug Discovery and Commercialization

(00:38:12) Advice for Aspiring Biotech Investors

(00:42:26) The Ambitious Vision of Amicus

(00:48:10) Acquiring New Technologies and Overcoming Financial Hurdles

(00:54:19) John’s Personal Triumphs Amidst Professional Challenges

(01:02:08) Megan Crowley's Journey and Family Pride

(01:14:07) The Current State and Future of Biotechnology

(01:21:28) The Impact of M&A in Biotech and Pharma

(01:29:11) Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines of Biotech

(01:34:32) Balancing Life, Duty, and Passion

(01:36:09) Reflecting on Legacy and Purpose