In this episode, we talk to Scott Berry, President and Senior Statistical Scientist at Berry Consultants - a pioneer in adaptive and Bayesian clinical trial design. With more than 25 years of experience designing trials for pharma, biotech, and government agencies, Scott has helped reshape how we think about learning in drug development. We explore what it really means to “learn as you go” in clinical trials - from the limitations of the traditional frequentist model to the promise of adapti...

In this episode, we talk to Deborah Dunsire, board chair at Neurvati Neurosciences, multiple times board member, and a former CEO of Lundbeck. With more than 3 decades of experience, Deborah has navigated organizations of every size through change, uncertainty, and opportunity. We explore what it takes to lead in today’s biopharma landscape - from rolling up your sleeves in biotech to streamlining decisions in big pharma, and from balancing short-term survival in a capital-constrained enviro...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Andrée Bates, founder and CEO of Eularis, a company helping clients accelerate pharma business results through Artificial Intelligence. We explore how the biopharma industry can move beyond scattered pilots toward strategic, enterprise-wide AI integration. Drawing on decades at the forefront of AI in pharma, Dr. Bates shares practical insights on building the foundations for long-term value creation and turning AI into a true competitive advantage. We also di...

How did China become a serious force in global biotech in just over a decade? This is the insider story of China's biotech boom! Dr. Leon 'Jun' Tang, founding partner of InScienceWeTrust BioAdvisory, joins Cures & Capital to unpack the rise of Chinese biopharma. From talent migration and government planning to innovation in ADCs and the challenges of commercialization. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction & Leon’s global background 01:13 - Guest introduction - Leon 'Jun' Tang 05:35 - Impac...

In this episode, we talk to Jason O’Neill, former CEO of Dendreon and Iridium Therapeutics, and author of The Secrets of Successful Drug Launches. This conversation is a practical guide to new drug launches, packed with Jason's hard-won insights. We explore why so many launches fail, the psychology behind adoption resistance, what meaningful relative advantage really means, how to plan for a successful launch, and when you actually need to start thinking about commercialization. This episod...

In this episode, we talk to Jason O’Neill, former CEO of Dendreon and Iridium Therapeutics, and author of The Secrets of Successful Drug Launches. This conversation is a practical guide to new drug launches, packed with Jason's hard-won insights. We explore why so many launches fail, the psychology behind adoption resistance, what meaningful relative advantage really means, how to plan for a successful launch, and when you actually need to start thinking about commercialization. This episod...

Over the past few months, we’ve had the chance to speak with some of the sharpest minds in the industry—thinkers and practitioners who have shaped how we understand drug innovation, R&D productivity, portfolio strategy, and other critical topics. In this episode, we bring together the major insights and lessons, highlighting patterns that emerged across the different conversations. We also spotlight the unique takeaways from each guest to help ensure these key learnings really stick. Wh...

In this episode, we talk to Aaron Schact, the CEO and Board Director at BiomEdit and former R&D leader at Eli Lilly and Elanco. We discuss how to improve biopharma's R&D productivity and the industry's "grand challenge", why R&D productivity is the mental model for managing R&D at scale, practical advice on how to approach and work with R&D productivity, and much more! If you want to connect with us - we would love to hear from you: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.c...

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Matthias Krings - a senior partner at Catenion, a biopharma strategy consulting firm. Matthias is a seasoned veteran in biopharma strategy. In this conversation, he shares his playbook for achieving success as a biopharma company. As critical pillars for biopharma success, we dive into strategy processes, decision-making, and effective R&D risk management. If you want to connect with us - we would love to hear from you: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/...

How do venture capitalists think? And how do they define and create value in the life science industry? In this episode, we talk to Stephan Christgau, founding partner of Eir Ventures, about the VC mindset, investment decision-making and portfolio strategy. We dive into how VCs assess risk, balance high-stakes opportunities, and what could pharma and biotech companies learn from the VC way of doing things. If you want to connect with us - we would love to hear from you: Linkedin: https://ww...

In this episode, we sit down with Murray Aitken, Executive Director of the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, to discuss the trends shaping the life sciences industry in 2025 and beyond. How do we navigate the life sciences industry in times of great uncertainty? Murray has observed the life sciences industry for decades and lays out his balanced perspective of the state of the industry and the underlying uncertainties, challenges and opportunities. This episode is a must-watch for anyon...

In this episode, Mike Rea - CEO, IDEA Pharma - takes us on a journey through innovation and value creation in pharma. It is not all roses! He shares his candid views on what the pharmaceutical industry needs to do better to be less confused about innovation. Mike Rea also explains the importance of getting the definition of innovation right in drug development. Early commercial involvement in drug R&D is another key pillar in his drug innovation philosophy. We also get to discuss organiza...

In this episode, Kelvin Stott talks about why might be pharma's business model broken and how can it be fixed, the declining ROI on drug R&D, better R&D portfolio decision making, raising the bar in pharma/biotech innovation and more. Kelvin Stott has over 20 years of diverse leadership experience in pharma R&D strategy and operations, drug discovery and development, portfolio management, strategy consulting, biotech start-ups and venture capital. Currently, he is the Found...

In this episode, Dr. Jack Scannell delves into topics such as R&D productivity, decision-making, model validity, and more. If you're looking to deepen your understanding of these areas, there's no better guide than Jack. Jack brings a deep and holistic understanding of the biotech and pharma industry, having held a variety of roles—including being a neuroscientist, strategy consultant, investment analyst, and now the CEO of Etheros Pharmaceuticals. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:08 Guest int...

EPISODE 1 - Cures & Capital: Trailer Episode In this episode, we introduce the scope and mission of the podcast. Our focus with Cures & Capital is the intersection between drug R&D and finance. Hosts: Martin Slezak & Simon Birksø. Disclaimer: This podcast and activities related to it are completely independent from our day jobs. All the views and opinions expressed through this channel are solely our own and do not represent or in any way reflect the views and opinion...