Nicholas Capman of The FDA Group welcomes David Marlin, Co-Founder and CEO of Metacomet Systems, to explore the often-overlooked complexities of royalty management in life sciences.
Drawing from his experience helping over 200 companies automate royalty payouts, David explains how biotech, pharma, and medical device firms struggle to manage licensing agreements as they scale. What starts as a simple once-a-year payment can quickly evolve into a tangled web of tiered rates, stacked IP, country-specific rules, and audit requirements.
David breaks down where companies most often go wrong—managing rules in Excel, underestimating the operational burden, and lacking traceability across contracts, SKUs, and sales data. He discusses how automation not only reduces risk and effort but also preserves trust with licensors by ensuring accuracy and transparency.
The conversation also covers how organizations can recognize when it's time to move beyond spreadsheets, what a successful royalty system implementation looks like, and why experience matters in such a niche space.
Whether you're paying or receiving royalties, this episode offers valuable insight into a critical but often misunderstood area of life sciences operations.
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The FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry's best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization, with a focus in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations. For project or resource needs, visit https://www.thefdagroup.com/
