Business Of Biotech

Hosted by Ben Comer

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Episodes

328

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

October 19, 2026Episode 32847 min

Investing In Tomorrow's CNS Breakthroughs With Breyer Capital's Bret Bostwick, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Bret Bostwick, M.D., Venture Partner at Breyer Capital, a family office, talks about his path from medical geneticist to CNS drug development and biotech investing. Bret reflects on lessons he learned at Alnylam about the power of genetically validated drug targets and the importance of team culture, why CNS drug development fails so often, and the problem with animal models. He also talks about where AI is truly helping early-stage biotechs, and where it can create problems. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

October 12, 2026Episode 32749 min

AI, China, And Biotech Investing With SR One's Simeon George, M.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Simeon George, M.D., Cofounder and CEO at SR One Capital Management, returns to the show to talk about how SR One evaluates biotech investment targets, and the good and bad signs that emerge during diligence. Simeon also discusses a new report published by SR One on how AI and China are changing the strategy and playbook for new drug creation. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

October 5, 2026Episode 32659 min

Reprogramming Cancer And Competing With China With Earli's Cyriac Roeding

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Cyriac Roeding talks about cofounding and leading Earli, a "bioAI" company using synthetic DNA switches and cancer-binding lipid nanoparticles to transform cancer cells into immune therapy-producing factories in vivo. Cyriac also discusses China’s newest five-year plan for biotech (2026 to 2030), why U.S. funding cycles are pushing innovation offshore, and how a U.S. sovereign wealth fund could support preclinical and early-stage drug development leadership at home. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

September 28, 2026Episode 32555 min

Growing And Scaling A Radiopharmaceuticals Company With AdvanCell's Philina Lee, Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Philina Lee, Ph.D., CEO at AdvanCell, explains how lead-based targeted alpha therapies can unlock deeper, more durable cancer responses, and why radiopharmaceutical companies live or die by manufacturing. Philina talks about AdvanCell's recent oversubscribed $315 million Series D raise, the company's vertically integrated manufacturing capability, and future plans for a regional U.S. manufacturing network. She also reflects on the current targeted alpha therapy landscape and how it could evolve over the next few years. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

September 21, 2026Episode 32446 min

Finding New Opportunities In Obesity With Moonwalk Bioscience's Alex Aravanis, M.D., Ph.D.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Alex Aravanis, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Moonwalk Biosciences, talks about the opportunity in obesity beyond GLP-1s. He describes Moonwalk’s adipose-targeted siRNA strategy, the genetics-driven logic behind its targets, and what it takes to fund and build a clinical-stage company. Alex also discusses Moonwalk's recent $70 million Series B raise, using AI to prioritize targets and improve siRNA design, and how weight loss without appetite suppression could preserve lean muscle mass and improve tolerability. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

September 14, 2026Episode 32355 min

Biotech Finance And Investor Update With Independent Board Director Allan Shaw

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Independent Board Director and five-time public company CFO Alan Shaw returns to the show for an update on current biotech financing and the strategies needed to secure capital now. Allan explains how biotech investors price risk as the market opens back up, the importance of valuation discipline, and the financing choices that separate “available capital” from “accessible capital.” Allan also discusses the trade-offs inherent to different funding types. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

September 7, 2026Episode 32255 min

Funding A Virtual Biotech Without Institutional Capital With Sarcomatrix's David Craig

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, David Craig, Cofounder, President, and CEO at Sarcomatrix, explains why the old biotech playbook breaks down in today’s funding environment and what it takes to build a lean virtual drug development company without institutional financing. Craig describes practical financing paths, hard truths about costs, and the tradeoffs that make a rare disease program investable through alternative fundraising strategies. He also shares what can and cannot be outsourced, and how regulatory sequencing shapes financial planning and timelines. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

August 31, 2026Episode 32158 min

Picking Biotech Winners Beyond The Hype Cycle With Andera Partners' Olivier Litzka

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Olivier Litzka, Partner at Andera Partners, talks about what it really takes for biotech companies to attract capital, stay focused, and survive the moments when biology and execution punch back. Olivia also discusses a collaborative effort in Europe to create a stronger public market and investor base, and what the emergence of AI and Chinese biotech means for building tomorrow's biotech companies. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

August 24, 2026Episode 32056 min

Biotech Investing At The Earliest Stages With Santé Ventures' Omar Khalil

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Omar Khalil, Managing Director at Santé Ventures, describes forming and funding startups and early-stage biotech companies with a focus on clinical data and differentiation as the key value drivers. Omar talks about his interest in 'undruggable targets,' what's happening with the IPO market, an investor shift from biology risk to commercial risk, and building companies through a venture creation process. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

August 17, 2026Episode 31950 min

Getting To A First Product Approval With Celcuity's Brian Sullivan

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Brian Sullivan, CEO at Celcuity, talks about winning the company's first FDA approval for Revtorpyk, a kinase inhibitor for breast cancer patients, and why targeting an “untreated disease mechanism” can beat chasing a single mutation. Brian also discusses the process for licensing a shelved Pfizer asset for development, designing Phase 3 trials that challenge assumptions, the benefits of FDA's Real-Time Oncology Review, and managing downside risk while advancing new indications, all while building a launch-ready company without losing pipeline momentum. 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.com Find Ben Comer on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/