Business Of Biotech

Dan McHugh, head of Yosemite's investment team and former interim CEO at Tune Therapeutics, blends bioengineering and VC experience. He discusses Yosemite’s approach to funding early-stage cancer therapeutics and unrestricted academic grants. He shares lessons from stepping in as a CEO and why Yosemite backs diverse oncology modalities and first-in therapies.

Alan Bash, biotech executive who led programs at BMS and ran Checkmate and Zeal Bio, now heads Carvykti commercialization at Legend Biotech. He discusses scaling autologous CAR T manufacturing and the Legend–J&J partnership. He covers strategies to expand patient access, educational outreach, preparing for BCMA competitors, and upcoming pipeline moves into allogeneic and in vivo approaches.

Marc Hedrick, M.D., a surgeon-turned-biotech CEO leading Plus Therapeutics. He explains the company pivot to radiotherapeutics for brain cancers. He discusses why Rhenium-186 and Reyobiq were chosen, liposomal delivery and tumor retention, supply chain advantages, and the acquisition of CNSide diagnostics to improve CNS cancer detection and monitoring.

Rahul Aras, Ph.D., biotech executive and CEO of Iterion Therapeutics, previously founded ventures in gene and regenerative therapies. He discusses advancing a novel Wnt/β-catenin-targeting cancer drug on a lean budget. Conversations cover clinical progress in HCC and desmoid tumors, capital-efficient trial design under $50M, combination strategies, and operating a biotech from Houston.

Thomas von Erlach, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Vivtex and former Langer Lab postdoc, works on making biologics orally available. He discusses founding Vivtex from MIT work, using a GI-tract-on-a-chip platform, earning long-term pharma trust, and striking a major Novo Nordisk partnership. Conversations cover stealth development, translating assays to pills, and scaling from CSO to CEO.

Monika Sumra, Ph.D., biosocial anthropologist and founder of Bunka, applies ethnography to life sciences leadership. She discusses how environments shape behavior and leadership, using Cultural Performance Indicators and rapid ethnography to make culture measurable. She explains designing systems for safer, faster operations and preparing culture before adopting AI.

Jared Bauer, co-founder and CEO of Seek Labs, builds AI-driven CRISPR therapeutics and point-of-care diagnostics. He recounts company turnarounds and scaling teams. He discusses portable, power-free molecular testing, CRISPR-based viral load reduction, AI mapping for rapid target design, and strategic partnerships including regulatory engagement and animal-health proof-of-concept work.

Cindy Perettie, EVP and Global Head at Kite Pharma, veteran leader in oncology commercialization and cell-therapy scale-up. She talks about scaling cell therapies into community care. She covers global manufacturing strategy, preparing major lymphoma and myeloma launches, partnerships like Arcellx, autologous versus allogeneic approaches, in vivo CAR-T potential, and regulatory and funding dynamics.

Brian Hilberdink, President of U.S. Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim and veteran commercial leader, discusses new opportunities in obesity and upcoming launch priorities. He explains how private ownership shapes long-term R&D, Boehringer's deal focus and adjacencies, and using AI to sharpen commercialization. He also covers market conditioning, CKD awareness, and regulators speeding HER2 NSCLC review.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech -- on location at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference -- we're speaking with Ron Cooper, CEO and Board Member at enGene, to unpack how he scaled Albireo from a small research shop to a global commercial company, and why he’s now betting on nonviral gene therapy at enGene to help patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer keep their bladders. Cooper talks about the importance of keeping development, financing, and hiring in sync as biotech companies grow, his experiences surviving near-death cash deficits, the importance of investing early in CMC, and what to expect in 2026.  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/