
Business Of Biotech
The Business of Biotech is the pod dedicated to leaders of emerging biopharma firms. SUBSCRIBE to our new newsletter at www.bioprocessonline.com/bob. We bring you insight into organizational, finance and funding, HR, clinical, manufacturing, regulatory, and commercial challenges you’ll face as you navigate your company from an idea to success in the clinic and beyond. Each episode features guest commentary and best practices from accomplished founders and biopharma industry luminaries. The Business of Biotech is produced by Life Science Connect.
Latest episodes

Jan 10, 2022 • 57min
Precision Approach To Infectious Disease With Locus Biosciences' Paul Garofolo
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Locus Biosciences CEO Paul Garofolo built his biotech leadership career on the back of an MIS degree, having learned the business from the inside out via the tentacles of the IT networks at companies including Genentech, The Broadlane Group, Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Patheon. On today's episode of the Business of Biotech, Garofolo shares how a technologist's approach has helped shape the effort to develop precision therapeutics for infectious diseases at Locus, the company's decision to build its own cGMP manufacturing facility in Research Triangle, and the massive business opportunity the field addresses in the effort to overcome antibiotic resistance. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Jan 3, 2022 • 41min
Bioengineering Human Tissue With Humacyte's Dr. Heather Prichard
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Humacyte COO Dr. Heather Prichard joins the Business of Biotech for a discussion on the company's pipeline of candidates for the repair, replacement, and reconstruction of human vascular vessels. The company recently scaled the production of its implantable bioengineered human tissues from 10 to 200 per day to meet Phase 3 vascular trauma and arteriovenous access trials. On today's episode, Dr. Prichard shares the company's scale-up story and the science and engineering behind a unique approach to regenerative medicine using human tissue. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Dec 27, 2021 • 45min
The Top Stories Of 2021 With Allan Shaw
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Join your host Matt Pillar and guest Allan Shaw for a no-hold-barred retrospective on the year's top stories and trends. From the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic to the questionable approval of Aduhelm to leadership instability at the FDA and more, Shaw dissects the year past and predicts how those stories will influence the biotech industry in 2022 and beyond.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Dec 20, 2021 • 40min
Complete CAR T Manufacturing Control with Cellectis' Steve Doares
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Cellectis' decision to build and operate its own trans-Atlantic manufacturing facilities was a strategic one. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, SVP of U.S. Manufacturing Steve Doares talks internal manufacturing rationale, discusses interoperability between its Paris and Raleigh, N.C. plants, and shares how the company keeps meeting the challenges presented by COVID-fueled supply chain disruptions head-on. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Dec 13, 2021 • 49min
Genomically-Guided Medicine with Elevation Oncology's Shawn Leland, PharmD, RPh
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Elevation Oncology is taking a new approach to leveraging the genome to guide development of its precision therapeutic development efforts. Its first step is improving both the accuracy of and accessibility to genomic testing for cancer patients, In tandem, the company is in the clinic with its lead candidate seribantumab for cancer patients with a solid tumor of any origin that expresses a genomic change called an NRG1 fusion. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Founder & CEO Shawn Leland, PharmD, RPh takes us inside the company's unique approach. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Dec 6, 2021 • 50min
Inhalable mAbs & Vaccines with TFF's Glenn Mattes
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Glenn Mattes' TFF Pharmaceuticals is looking to break the parenteral barrier by manufacturing biologics — mAbs and vaccines, more specifically — that can be inhaled, rather than injected. It's a timely endeavor, and TFF's business model is a collaborative one that seeks to explore dry powder biologic options through partnership, in addition to its own pipeline. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, the veteran biopharma CEO shares the company's vision and the technology that's bringing it into focus. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Nov 29, 2021 • 50min
Democratizing Biologics With Lumen Bioscience's Brian Finrow, J.D. & Craig Behnke, Ph.D.
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Making powerful and curative biologic therapies accessible to patients from all walks of life, and all corners of the globe, requires radically innovative thinking. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Lumen Bioscience's Co-Founder and CEO Brian Finrow, J.D. and EVP of Production/Development Craig Behnke, Ph.D. discuss a novel approach: developing therapeutic proteins from readily-available food algae spirulina. It's driving a diverse pipeline of candidates into the clinic, for indications reaching from the gut to the heart and lungs. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Nov 22, 2021 • 48min
Cornering The Antibody Market With Akesobio CEO Dr. Michelle Xia, Ph.D.
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. In business for just a decade, Akesobio's stats are mindboggling: 20 drug development programs, including 12 antibodies in clinical-stage development, six bi-specific antibodies (two at clinical stage), four antibodies with IND approvals from the FDA, and 22 clinical trials initiated. The company's CEO, Michelle Xia, Ph.D., sat down with the Business of Biotech for a conversation about how the company has managed such supercharged growth.Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Nov 15, 2021 • 50min
Turning The Liver Into A mAb Factory With Homology's Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D.
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Homology Medicines' approaches to gene therapy and gene editing have the potential to seriously disrupt both the cell/gene therapy space and the mAb manufacturing and administration paradigms as we know them. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Homology President & CEO Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D. shares the company's approach and supports its rationale for investing in its own development and manufacturing capacity. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Nov 8, 2021 • 42min
Maximizing mRNA With Precision Nanosystems' James Taylor, Ph.D.
We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. Dr. James Taylor believes that genomic medicine will prove the most revolutionary thing the life sciences industries have ever seen, and that it will ultimately become the largest therapeutic class. Dr. Taylor is president an CEO at Precision Nanosystems. He chalks up the genomic nature of biology, the fact that genomes are information-based, the breadth and validation of the genomic medicine toolbox, and the democratization of genomic medicine development as reasons to be bullish. Join Dr. Taylor and me for a conversation on why RNA and DNA delivery are game-changers, and what Precision Nanosystems is doing to push the ball downfield. Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/