The Future of Pharma

My guest in this episode is Sanjeev Luther. Sanjeev is President & CEO of Ernexa Therapeutics. He is a seasoned life sciences leader with decades of experience in oncology, biotechnology innovation, and corporate leadership across global markets. He has guided clinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies through corporate strategy, R&D, licensing, regulatory affairs, and operations, overseeing global Phase 3 trials, major partnerships, and portfolio expansions in multiple therapeutic areas. His career includes senior roles at Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, BMS, Novartis, Bausch and Lomb, and GE Healthcare, along with contributions to health policy initiatives such as Cures 2.0 and U.S. manufacturing efforts.  Sanjeev also serves on the board of the South Asian Pharmaceutical Council and supports programs aiding adults with dementia. As CEO of Ernexa Therapeutics, he is advancing cell therapy innovations for cancer and autoimmune disease. In this chat, Sanjeev and I talk about: * the importance of extending life and enhancing the quality of life for patients * Curing diseases is not the only goal * Quality of life matters more than just survival * The importance of patient-centric perspectives in healthcare and * The need for a shift in how we view healthcare outcomes. I enjoyed my discussion with Sanjeev. I hope you do too. Here's Sanjeev Luther.

My Guest in this episode is Dr. Dave Miller. Dave is CSO of AustinPx and leads the pharmaceutics and analytical development teams and oversees the application of the KinetiSol™ Technology. Prior to his current position, Dr. Miller served as Vice President of Research and Development at DisperSol Technologies and Senior Principal Scientist at Hoffmann-La Roche. Dr. Miller is a co-inventor of the pharmaceutical applications of the KinetiSol technology. He has published over 40 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, authored 8 book chapters, and is co-editor of the First, Second, and Third Editions of the textbook, Formulating Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs. He is a co-inventor on numerous granted and pending patents worldwide. Dr. Miller holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Texas at Austin. In this conversation, Dave shares his extensive journey in pharmaceutical research and development, highlighting the evolution of drug delivery technologies, particularly Kinetisol. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from R&D to commercialization, the importance of precision medicine, and the complexities of manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry. Dave emphasizes the need for innovative approaches to drug formulation and the role of emotional intelligence in professional success. I enjoyed my chat with Dr. Dave Miller. Hope you do too. Here's Dr. Dave Miller.

My guest in this episode is Brandon Rice. Brandon is the CEO and co-founder at Weave Bio, a software company focused on automating regulatory submissions in the pharmaceutical industry using AI where he oversees product development, specifically leading the creation of AutoIND, their AI-powered platform for IND preparation.   In this conversation, Brandon discusses his journey to co-founding Weave Bio. He highlights the challenges of regulatory compliance, the potential of AI to streamline processes, and the importance of human oversight in AI-generated content. The discussion also touches on the cultural differences in AI adoption among pharmaceutical companies, global regulatory trends, and the need for open-mindedness towards new technologies. I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Brandon and learned a lot about the current AI in pharma landscape. I hope you do too. Here's Brandon Rice.

My guest in this episode is Nikkhil Masurkar.  Nikkhil is the CEO of Entod Pharmaceuticals which is based in India. He is often called India's Eye Drops Man because Entod specializes in ophthalmic, ENT, and dermatological medicines.  In this interview, Nikkil and I talked about how closely American and Indian pharma worlds are intertwined - 4 out of 10 prescriptions filled in the U.S. are supplied by Indian companies. They supply almost half of all generic prescriptions. This translates to a significant cost savings for the U.S. healthcare system - over $1.3 trillion in last 10 years alone.  We also talked about  - Why India is considered the 'Pharmacy of the World'  - How Indian pharma companies can move beyond generics into high-value innovation - ⁠How Indian pharma can be a $450 billion industry by 2047 - How to balance affordability with innovation to ensure life-saving drugs reach more people - The biggest regulatory hurdles Indian pharma companies face when expanding in the USA   And what all of it means for the American healthcare system, American pharma industry, and American patients. We also discussed important leadership lessons, one thing about the Indian pharma industry Nikkhil would change if he could, and what he reads, instead of books, that drives his personal outlook and Entod Pharmaceutical's culture. I enjoyed my discussion with Nikkhil about how closely American and Indian pharma industries are connected. I hope you do too. Here's Nikkil Masurkar.

My guest in this episode is Arielle Smith.  Arielle serves as the President of Life Science at Event Cadence which is an event management platform. She was also one of the founding members of Event Cadence. It enables Life Science companies to efficiently plan and manage both industry conferences and internal meetings. Arielle has worked with pharma companies such as Merck, AstraZeneca, Jazz Pharma, Sanofi, and more.   Previously, she has worked with Lampire Biological Laboratories and Jefferson Health, which helped her to provide the Healthcare industry with the best all-in-one industry conference solution.  She also worked in sales and client management for Paramount-owned Showtime Networks, the company behind award-winning shows like Shameless and Billions.      In this discussion, Arielle and I talk about   - How to coordinate efforts of multiple team members - How to collect and leverage data for networking and meetings - The logistics of sending multiple employees to industry events - Individual attendees vs a group of employees being sent by companies. This was an interesting chat as it was about the logistics of attending industry events rather than what's being presented at those events. I found my discussion with Arielle very informative and timely considering the kickoff of industry events. I hope you do too. Here's Arielle Smith.