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This week on Leading Beyond The Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Megan McGill, CEO of Brenig Therapeutics, with years of experience spanning biotech leadership, strategy, clinical medicine, management consulting and neuroscience research.

In this episode, Megan covers:

• Why Brenig Therapeutics is targeting neuroinflammation and Parkinson’s disease through LRRK2 and NLRP3 inhibitors, and how the company is positioning itself within the rapidly evolving neurodegenerative disease landscape.

• How AI and machine learning are being used across medicinal chemistry and drug development at Brenig through investment from Torrey Pines, OrbiMed, New Enterprise Associates, BioGeneration Ventures, to optimise brain penetration, selectivity and safety profiles simultaneously.

• Why Megan believes an MD and PhD background is critical in biotech leadership, combining a deep understanding of disease biology with a real-world understanding of patients and unmet medical needs.

• The realities of building a career in medicine, biotech and leadership while raising children as a single mother, and the leadership lessons around empathy, patience and resilience that came from that experience.

• Why neuroscience investment remains significantly underfunded despite the growing global burden of neurodegenerative disease, and what needs to change across biotech, pharma and venture capital to accelerate progress in CNS innovation.

• Lawrence and Megan also discuss organisations and companies including Eli Lilly and Company, McKinsey & Company, BridgeBio Pharma and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Be sure to check out the full episode to hear Megan’s perspective on the future of neuroscience, biotech leadership and the evolving role of AI across drug development.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artotalent

Megan McGill

CEO at Brenig Therapeutics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcgillmegan/

Lawrence Rose

Consulting Director at ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:21 Megan’s background across medicine, biotech and neuroscience

03:03 Joining Brenig Therapeutics and the company’s pipeline

04:16 LRRK2 and NLRP3 inhibitors in Parkinson’s disease

05:23 The growing neuroinflammation landscape

06:51 Phase 1 clinical trial milestones and biomarkers

07:23 Why Brenig chose Parkinson’s disease

10:14 AI medicinal chemistry and machine learning in drug discovery

12:08 How AI is changing biotech operations and strategy

14:20 Brenig’s Series B strategy and upcoming milestones

15:57 Building efficient biotech teams and scaling operations

17:30 Leadership inspiration and high-performing teams

18:46 The advantages of being an MD and PhD in biotech leadership

21:16 Commercial partnerships and pharma collaboration strategy

23:08 Digital biomarkers, diagnostics and wearable technology

28:06 Balancing medicine, biotech leadership and motherhood

33:30 Mentorship, McKinsey and learning commercial strategy

37:00 Leadership communication and simplifying complexity

38:23 What defines elite biotech teams and company culture

40:40 Brenig’s board, investors and strategic support

43:16 Building a culture of excellence in a virtual biotech company

46:13 The future of neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease

50:25 Clinical trial recruitment and patient engagement

52:34 The Biotech CEO Sisterhood and women in biotech leadership

56:17 Diversity, leadership and representation in biotech

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Can AI become a universal simulator of biology, helping predict disease, improve drug success rates, and reshape how medicine is developed?

This week on Leading Beyond The Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Jean-Philippe Vert, Co-Founder and CEO of Bioptimus, with decades of experience spanning artificial intelligence, computational biology, academia and big tech, including leadership roles at Google, and work influenced by breakthroughs such as DeepMind’s AlphaFold.

In this episode, Jean-Philippe covers:

• Why Bioptimus is focused on understanding patient biology, not simply designing molecules, and why that could change drug development.

• How AI-powered decision systems could improve translational research, clinical trial design, patient recruitment and disease prediction.

• Why Jean-Philippe left Google to build Bioptimus, and why foundation models for biology may represent a major shift in medicine.

• How partnerships across healthcare systems, pharma and research institutions are helping build the data infrastructure behind biological foundation models, with perspectives shaped alongside leaders including Sarah Teichmann (Professor at Cambridge University) and Caroline Uhler (Professor at MIT)

• What makes AI in biology defensible, from proprietary data partnerships and elite interdisciplinary teams, to support from investors including Edward Kliphuis (Sofinnova Partners), Bpifrance, Cathay Investments.

A thoughtful conversation on AI, biology, and the future of medicine. From lessons learned in big tech to what it takes to build enduring platforms in TechBio, this is a considered discussion for anyone interested in where scientific discovery is heading.

Be sure to check out the full episode.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artotalent

Jean-Philippe Vert

CEO at Bioptimus

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-philippe-vert/

Lawrence Rose

Talent Solutions Director at ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and vision for AI as a universal simulator of biology

01:41 Introducing Jean-Philippe Vert and @Bioptimus

02:27 What Bioptimus is doing differently in AI biology

07:46 AI decision systems and improving clinical development

12:52 Early disease detection and predictive healthcare

15:28 Why Jean-Philippe left @Google

19:21 Building and sourcing biological data at scale

22:19 Partnerships and foundation models

28:04 Lessons from big tech

33:23 Defensibility in AI biology

37:09 Building interdisciplinary teams and culture

39:28 AI in healthcare, hype versus infrastructure

41:20 What AI means for doctors

43:10 What may define lasting AI-biology companies

45:05 Challenges of building Bioptimus

48:13 Prioritisation and deciding where to focus

51:33 Mentorship, leadership and building teams

53:02 Communicating vision to boards and investors

55:33 What success looks like in ten years

#LeadingBeyondTheLab #ARTOTalent #TechBio #ArtificialIntelligence #DrugDiscovery #ComputationalBiology #PrecisionMedicine

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What does it take to build not just one billion-dollar company, but seven and start again after losing it all? In this episode, Robert Wessman shares the mindset, discipline and foresight behind building one of the world’s most ambitious biosimilars platforms.

This week on Leading Beyond The Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Robert Wessman, Founder and Executive Chairman, with over 25 years of experience spanning global pharmaceuticals, generics, biosimilars and serial entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Robert Wessman covers:

(01:12) Why biologics dominate the future of pharmaceuticals and the urgent need to expand access through biosimilars, with treatment costs reaching up to $100,000 per patient annually

(04:10) Building seven companies including six unicorns, and scaling a global generics business across 80+ countries with over 16,500 employees

(12:32) The seven-pillar framework behind building high-performance culture, including vision setting, team alignment and execution discipline

(18:14) The importance of timing in biotech, and how starting too early or too late in biosimilars can determine success or failure

(38:16) Strategic foresight in action, from anticipating regulatory changes to building one of the largest biosimilars pipelines with over 30 products

This conversation offers a clear, experience-backed perspective on scaling in life sciences, building resilient organisations and making high-impact decisions in complex markets. If you are working in biotech, pharma or leadership, this episode provides practical insights worth applying.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@life_sciences

Robert Wessman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wessman/

Lawrence Rose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:46 The global cost challenge of biologics

01:12 Market dynamics and future of biosimilars

03:11 Origins of building multiple pharma companies

04:10 Scaling Actavis into a global leader

05:22 Repeatable frameworks for building companies

06:53 Execution, culture and operational excellence

10:01 Building Alvotech in Iceland

11:10 Hiring globally and building culture

12:32 The seven pillars of high-performance culture

15:28 Execution and accountability at scale

17:03 Scaling rapidly while maintaining culture

18:14 Timing the biosimilars market

19:27 Fundraising and early-stage selling

22:07 Building partnerships and licensing strategy

24:21 Manufacturing strategy and infrastructure

25:49 Business development and commercial model

27:11 Building global supply chains

28:23 Transitioning leadership roles

30:29 Evolution of CEO skillsets

32:03 AI and the future of work in pharma

34:03 Hiring for high-performance teams

36:33 Managing risk and operational challenges

37:07 Reducing development costs through foresight

38:16 Scaling pipeline strategy

40:25 Patent challenges and market barriers

42:19 Anticipating market shifts in biologics

44:11 Navigating setbacks and industry challenges

45:26 Market dynamics and global pricing pressures

47:08 Why Iceland as a strategic base

50:47 Attracting global talent to Iceland

53:09 Capital markets and disciplined growth

54:40 Risks of overfunding

55:04 Personal story and adversity

58:19 Near-death cycling accident

01:00:30 Recovery and resilience

01:05:55 Impact on mindset and life perspective

#LeadingBeyondTheLab #ARTOTalent #Biotech #Pharmaceuticals #Biosimilars #LifeSciences #Leadership

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AI is beginning to uncover medicines that humans alone could never design.

This week on another episode of Leading Beyond the Lab, we host James Field, CEO and Founder of LabGenius Therapeutics, a company pioneering the use of machine learning, robotics, and synthetic biology to engineer the next generation of therapeutic antibodies.

With over a decade of experience spanning AI-driven drug discovery, protein engineering, and synthetic biology, James founded LabGenius Therapeutics to rethink how biologic medicines are discovered.

In this episode, James discusses:

- The founding story of LabGenius Therapeutics and how its AI-guided experimentation platform is transforming antibody engineering.

- The companies backing by leading investors including Kindred Capital (Leila Zegna), Lux Capital, Obvious Ventures, M Ventures, and Octopus Ventures, and is guided by industry leaders such as Edwin Moses, the company’s Chairman and a veteran biotech executive.

- LabGenius Therapeutics' collaboration with Sanofi, and how partnerships between biotech startups and global pharma companies are helping translate AI-designed antibodies into real therapeutic pipelines.

- The importance of global scientific conferences such as European Society for Medical Oncology, where breakthroughs in oncology and biologics are shaping the future of therapeutic development.

- The mentors and inspirations that shaped his journey into biotech, from his university lecturers at Imperial College London to industry leaders like Edwin Moses, who now serves as Chairman of LabGenius Therapeutics and has played a key role in guiding the company’s growth.

If you're interested in AI-driven drug discovery, biotech entrepreneurship, and the future of medicine, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Website: https://arto-talent.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artotalent

Dr. James Field

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-field-7518a05b/

Lawrence Rose

Co-Founder + Talent Solutions Director At ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

02:40 Rewriting the Rules of Drug Discovery

16:21 Scaling Innovation

37:29 AI, Motivation & Purpose

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What if we could predict whether a drug will work, before it ever reaches a patient?

This week, in another episode of Leading Beyond the Lab, we host a co-guest episode featuring Nik Sharma, CEO & Co-Founder of BioCortex, a trained neurologist with years of experience spanning clinical medicine, ALS research, academia (Cambridge, NIH) and more. And Muhannad Alomari, CTO & Co-Founder, with over a decade of experience spanning aerospace engineering, AI leadership and physics-based systems modelling.

In this episode, the duo covers:

• Why bacteria inside tumours may explain clinical trial variability, how “in silico bridge trials” could reshape oncology development, and how BioCortex plans to translate that science into commercial inflection points, global licensing models, and long-term value creation without taking traditional pipeline risk.
• From partnerships with CD BioPharma, they explain how global clinical strategy, particularly leveraging innovation and trial infrastructure emerging from China, is reshaping how oncology assets are advanced and positioned for global success.
• They also discuss investor backing from Edward Kliphuis from Sofinnova, Hussein Kanji from Hoxton Ventures and Draper Associates, and how capital discipline combined with deep-tech engineering principles (inspired by Rolls-Royce and even NASA) is shaping a new model for oncology drug development.
• They also reflect on visiting leading oncology centres in China alongside HSBC and AstraZeneca, highlighting the sheer scale and speed of patient recruitment, momentum that was clearly visible in multiple back-to-back presentations at ASCO, signalling a structural shift in global cancer innovation.

This is a conversation about speed, probability, biology, engineering, and ultimately, time. Because for patients, time is everything.

To listen to (or watch) the full episode, search “Leading Beyond the Lab BioCorteX” on wherever you get your podcasts, or click on the first link in the comments below.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if a single injection could teach the immune system to eliminate cancer, and keep it away?

This week, in another episode of Leading Beyond the Lab, Lawrence Rose sits down with Paul Peter Tak, MD, PhD, FMedSci, President & CEO of Candel Therapeutics, one of the most quietly compelling stories in cancer immunotherapy today.

With over 30 years of experience spanning academic medicine, clinical immunology, rheumatology, oncology, and global pharmaceutical leadership, Paul Peter brings a rare clinician-scientist perspective to biotech leadership. Prior to Candel, he served as Chief Immunology Officer and Global Head of Development at GSK (led by Luke Miels) , where he helped shape immunology and oncology strategy at scale. Paul Peter is also founder and previous chair of the dept of clinical immunology and rheumatology at Amsterdam UMC.

In this episode, Paul Peter covers:

- The mission behind Candel Therapeutics and why viral immunotherapy represents a fundamentally new modality, shifting the goal from helping patients live longer with cancer to helping them live without cancer.

- Why Candel’s lead programs (including CAN-2409) are gaining serious scientific credibility, supported by leaders such as Nobel laureate James P. Allison and the "father of CAR-T cell therapy" Carl June, and how this external validation is changing industry and investor perception.

- Lessons from past paradigm shifts in medicine, drawing on his early academic work at Leiden University, where once-dismissed antibody therapies later became standard of care, a parallel to today’s scepticism around viral immunotherapy.

- How leadership, culture, and decision-making drive biotech success, shaped by his experience building teams in academia, transforming R&D at GSK, and learning large-scale leadership from mentors like Lord Patrick Vallance.

- Why flexible operating models matter in biotech, including Candel’s approach to commercialisation through partners such as IDEA Pharma (led by Mike Rea) and Globe Life Sciences (Jonathon Mitchell), and cautionary lessons from companies like Oncorus and Replimune.

Be sure to check out this episode to hear how Paul-Peter Tak is helping redefine what’s possible in cancer immunotherapy - and what it takes to lead beyond the lab.

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@life_sciences

Website: https://arto-talent.com

Paul Peter Tak

CEO at Candel Therapeutics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-peter-tak-md-phd-fmedsci-1b44749/

Lawrence Rose

Co-Founder + Talent Solutions Director At ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

01:50 Candel's Mission

19:51 The US Promising Future for Candel

35:44 Culture at Candel

40:44 Paul Peter's Motivations as CEO

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If AI is collapsing the cost of healthcare — are we on the brink of a historic breakthrough… or another bubble?

This week on Leading Beyond the Lab, we sit down with @Edward Kliphuis, Partner at @Sofinnova Partners, one of Europe’s leading life-sciences venture capital firms.

With over 20 years of experience spanning venture capital, digital health, tech-bio investing, and global life-sciences strategy, Edward has been at the forefront of investing where biology, computation, and healthcare collide.

In this episode, Edward covers:

- What’s genuinely different about AI in drug discovery and digital medicine today, and how collapsing healthcare costs could unlock a $10 trillion opportunity by reshaping long-term global supply–demand dynamics.

- Edward explains how @Excelsior, backed by Sofinnova Partners, @Khosla Ventures and @Deerfield Management, and led by @Mike Foley, is using an AI-driven, modular chemistry platform, originating from @Marty Burke at the @University of Illinois, to create entirely new, de novo small-molecule drugs.

- Why the US pharma & tech landscape may resemble a bubble, or a once-in-a-generation inflection point

- He talks about @Latent Labs, (led by @Simon Kohl) a Sofinnova-backed company designing entirely new proteins that do not exist in nature, unlocking new therapeutic possibilities.

- Edward outlines Sofinnova’s investment in @Bioptimus and discusses @Moon Surgical, exploring how AI and robotics are improving drug discovery and augmenting clinicians in complex procedures.

- Edward reflects on the broader AI landscape, referencing an @HSBC investment banking report questioning the long-term economics underpinning large AI models such as @OpenAI, before highlighting comments from @Geoffrey Hinton on the scalability limits of current AI architectures.

From AI-driven drug discovery and robotics in surgery, to healthcare economics, venture capital philosophy, and Europe vs the US innovation gap, this is a deep, unfiltered look at where life sciences is heading next.

To listen to (or watch) the full episode, search "Leading Beyond The Lab Edward Kliphuis" on your preferred streaming platform, or click on the first link in the comments below!

Follow ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/artotalent

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kEcRZOiJChOoN1KF2n1ng

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arto.talent?igsh=MWdhbWl5N204a253NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artotalent?_t=ZG-8tHbGACAZaj&_r=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-beyond-the-lab/id1783115575

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@life_sciences

Website: https://arto-talent.com

Edward Kliphuis

Partner at Sofinnova Partners

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekliphuis/

Lawrence Rose

Co-Founder + Talent Solutions Director At ARTO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Sofinnovas Partner's Investments

17:41 The US Pharma "Bubble" & AI

28:02 Investing in the Right CEO / Company

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From science fiction to clinical reality. What happens when cell therapy moves from promise to proof in patients who have run out of options?

This week on Leading Beyond the Lab, Lawrence Rose sat down with Amit Rakhit, Chief Medical Officer at BlueRock Therapeutics, to explore how regenerative medicine, leadership, and culture intersect at the most pivotal stages of biotech development.

A physician by training, Amit has built his career across large pharma and early stage biotech, including experience at Bristol Myers Squibb and Biogen, working on programmes ranging from rare disease to neurodegeneration. He is also a visible advocate for authenticity and inclusion within the life sciences industry.

In this episode, Amit covers:

• How BlueRock Therapeutics is translating the promise of cell therapy into real clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease, and why this moment is so significant for patients who have exhausted existing treatments (01:09)

• What it takes to balance bold scientific vision with realism, credibility, and execution when leading clinical programmes at a pivotal stage (03:29)

• The real differences between CEO and CMO roles, why leadership is not about hierarchy, and how self-awareness shapes long-term career impact (04:58)

• Why authenticity, diversity of thought, and culture consistently separate successful biotechs from those that struggle, more than metrics alone (06:37)

• Lessons from a career spanning programmes such as Plavix and Spinraza at Biogen, and what physician scientists should consider when transitioning into industry roles (12:00)

If you want to understand how science, leadership, and empathy come together to shape medicines that can truly change lives, this is an episode worth your time.

Check out the full conversation and hear directly from one of the industry’s most thoughtful clinical leaders.

Follow ARTO: https://linktr.ee/arto_talent

Amit Rakhit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-rakhit/

Lawrence Rose

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencerose/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and background

01:09 Cell therapy and BlueRock Therapeutics’ mission

03:29 Leadership, credibility, and execution

04:58 CEO vs CMO roles in biotech

06:37 Authenticity, inclusion, and culture

09:24 What separates successful biotechs

12:00 Physician scientists transitioning into industry

18:34 Career-defining moments and resilience

22:38 The future of cell therapy and emerging modalities

24:32 AI in drug discovery and clinical development

26:26 Closing thoughts and where to connect

#LeadingBeyondTheLab #ARTOTalent #CellTherapy #BiotechLeadership #RegenerativeMedicine #LifeSciences #ClinicalDevelopment

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