Finance & Capital Markets

1. Lessons From The Bone Therapeutics/Medsenic Merger With BioSenic's François Rieger, Ph.D. 3/20/2023

   On the surface, the merger of Medsenic (a developer of arsenic salt formulations for therapeutic application in inflammatory conditions) and Bone Therapeutics (which develops allogeneic cell therapies for complicated bone fractures) doesn't look obviously synergistic. But Francois Rieger, Ph.D. says that on the scientific level, it's a perfect union, and the veteran biotech founder says the business should always follow the science. The union of the two companies formed BioSenic, which Dr. Regier now serves as CEO. On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Dr. Regier shows us the good, the bad, and the ugly of the merger process and shares his philosophy on letting science lead the way, regardless of the analysts' takes.

2. Fed Funding: Creative Capital Generation With James Thomas Coates, Ph.D. 8/1/2022

   As biotech capital markets continue to restrict access to funding for emerging biopharmas, you might be surprised by how many federal dollars get left on the negotiating table. To that end, James Thomas Coates, Ph.D. and his team at Decisive Point have carved out a niche in the venture capital space.

3. Veteran Advice From The C-Suite With Citius' Leonard Mazur 10/4/2023

   Leonard Mazur has been in the business of biotech for a long, long time, and he has no intention of stopping now. He’s faced challenges won, lost, and ongoing, and he’s willing to share his experiences—from winning FDA approvals to bootstrapping his current effort at Citius Pharmaceuticals—with the transparent confidence of an industry veteran.

4. Deal And Investment Trends With Investment Banker David Sans 4/2/2025

   Today we're talking life sciences investment trends and risks with David Sans, an investment banker with an academic background in chemical engineering and molecular modeling, and a professional background that began in Big Pharma and shifted to investing over 15 years ago.

5. Biotech M&A Anomalies With Allan Shaw 8/22/2022

   While many clinical-stage biopharmas are contracting or holding the line through the current market slump, Portage Biotech leaders Ian Walters, Allan Shaw, and company are making moves. The company recently acquired Tarus Therapeutics and iOx Therapeutics Ltd., extending its pipeline and positioning itself to meet some aggressive investor expectations. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, Shaw dissects the deals, digging into the M&A strategy at Portage and offering advice from the batter's box to leaders of early-stage biotechs.

6. Funding Tips And Moving From R&D To Commercial With Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' Mardi Dier 11/5/2025

   On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, Mardi Dier, CFO at Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, talks about building relationships in investment banking and investor relations before moving into business development and becoming a chief financial officer. 

7. Funding A Neurodegeneration Startup With Coya Therapeutics' Howard Berman 5/10/2023

   Like many of us, Howard Berman, Ph.D. has personal experience with the tragedy of cognitive decline. Neurodegenerative disorders are on the rise, and when one afflicted his father — a triple board-certified physician — he saw firsthand that they don't discriminate. Berman has dedicated his career to addressing neuro, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, having founded Nicoya Health in 2020 and overseeing its merger with Coya Therapeutics the following year. The company came out of the gates this year fueled by an 11th-hour 2022 IPO, one of just a dozen on the year. Berman joined the Business of Biotech to share his strategy during a stingy stretch in biotech capital markets. 

8. Athersys' Ivor Macleod On Bringing Big-League Financial Experience To An Emerging Biotech 8/13/2020

   The Business Of Biotech "Summer Executive Sessions" kick off with a candid conversation with Athersys CFO Ivor Macleod, who brings years of finance leadership at Roche, Merck, and other big pharmas to Athersys as the company readies its lead candidate for life beyond clinical trials. Join us for a discussion on how Macleod is applying big-league finance principles to an emerging biopharma company, and what he's learned about managing funds in a pre-commercial biotech environment.

9. The Biotech Beatdown With Allan Shaw 6/6/2022

   On this, the 100th episode of the Business of Biotech podcast, our dear friend, frequent guest, and business of biotech brainiac Allan Shaw joins us to dissect the beleaguered biotech capital markets. We pick apart what's driving sentiment and how we got here, whether the industry is over-inventoried, what's getting funded , what's not, and why, and what biotech leaders should be doing in an investment landscape marked by hyper-discernment. We also reflect on the podcast journey and celebrate the 100-episode milestone!

10. The Year's Top Stories With Allan Shaw 12/26/2021

    Join your host Matt Pillar and guest Allan Shaw for a no-holds-barred retrospective on the year's top stories and trends. From the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic to the questionable approval of Aduhelm to leadership instability at the FDA and more, Shaw dissects the year past and predicts how those stories will influence the biotech industry in 2022 and beyond.