Hello and welcome to Cures & Capital - the podcast on value creation in biotech and pharma.
Together, we are going to dive deep into the world of biotech and pharma to tackle the holy grail - how do we improve return on investment from drug innovation and deliver transformative therapies to patients, efficiently and sustainably.
Hosted by 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 opinions of the companies we work for.
Inside Eli Lilly's Transformation and Rise to the Top with Jan Lundberg
In this episode, we speak with Jan Lundberg – former President of Lilly Research Laboratories and Head of R&D at Eli Lilly and Company. With a career spanning academia, biotech, and big pharma, Jan has contributed to the development of more than 30 approved medicines, including Brilinta, Iressa, Nexium, Taltz, Trulicity, Verzenio, and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro). He also played a central role in one of the most remarkable growth stories in the industry. We explore what it really takes to turn ...
18 Dec 2025
How Wall Street Really Values Biotech with Hartaj Singh
How do investors really value biotech? Former hedge fund investor and biotech analyst Hartaj Singh explains how Wall Street thinks about risk, biology, clinical trials, and uncertainty - and why biotech valuation is both art and formula. Hartaj Singh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartaj-s-35614670/ Check out Hartaj's newsletter: The Biotech Capital Compass - https://hartajsingh1.substack.com/ Subscribe to the Cures & Capital podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify! ...
26 Nov 2025
Advanced Drug Modalities with Jeff Holder & Adam Siebert: From Science to Real-World Impact
In this episode, we talk to Jeff Holder and Adam Siebert, Partners and Managing Directors at L.E.K. Consulting, about the rapidly evolving world of advanced drug modalities. With years of experience advising clients across the life sciences industry, Jeff and Adam sit at the intersection of cutting-edge science and the real-world constraints of getting medicines to patients. Together, we unpack the past, present and future of advanced drug modalities, the science and the strategic impl...
5 Nov 2025
Sheila Gujrathi, MD: How to elevate female leaders and underrepresented voices in biopharma
In this episode of Cures & Capital, Dr. Sheila Gujrathi — biotech entrepreneur, investor, and former CEO of Gossamer Bio — shares her perspective on how to elevate female leaders and underrepresented voices in biopharma. She discusses lessons from her 25+ years leading companies and investments, and why inclusive leadership is key to innovation and value creation. We also dive into her book, The Mirror Effect, and her mission to inspire the next generation of women in biotech. Check out S...
15 Oct 2025
Scott Berry on Rethinking Clinical Trials: Bayesian Design, Adaptivity, and Smarter Decisions
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...
27 Aug 2025
Deborah Dunsire on leading in today’s biopharma landscape
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...
26 Jun 2025
Dr. Andrée Bates on AI that works: from pilot chaos to real impact
Dr. Andrée Bates, CEO of Eularis, discusses how the biopharma industry strategically integrates AI to create long-term value and competitive advantages in this interview.
10 Jun 2025
Leon 'Jun' Tang: Inside the Rise of China's Biotech Industry
Leon 'Jun' Tang, founding partner, InScienceWeTrust BioAdvisory, analyzes China's rapid emergence as a global biotech leader, covering talent, government strategy, and innovation in this interview.
28 May 2025
Jason O'Neill on cracking the code to successful drug launches - Part 2
Jason O'Neill, former CEO, shares his expertise on successful drug launches, exploring common pitfalls and offering strategies for effective commercialization in this interview.
21 May 2025
Jason O'Neill on cracking the code to successful drug launches - Part 1
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...
7 May 2025
Episode 9 - Reflections and Takeaways
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...
22 Apr 2025
Aaron Schacht on the pharmaceutical industry's grand challenge and managing R&D at scale
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...
7 Apr 2025
Matthias Krings on crafting winning biopharma strategies and smart decisions
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/...
20 Mar 2025
Stephan Christgau on applying the VC mindset in biotech & pharma
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...
4 Mar 2025
Murray Aitken's guide to biotech & pharma leaders: Navigating great uncertainty and complexity
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...
18 Feb 2025
Mike Rea on why pharma struggles with innovation - and how to fix it
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...
2 Feb 2025
Kelvin Stott on what it takes to fix pharma's broken business model
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...
21 Jan 2025
Jack Scannell on drug R&D decision-making: The value of getting it right
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 Intro02:08 Guest introductio...
11 Jan 2025
Cures & Capital: Trailer Episode
Martin Slezak & Simon Birksø explore the intersection of drug R&D and finance, uncovering innovative ways to bridge the gap between cures and capital.
Who has been a guest on Cures & Capital
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Andrée Bates
Leon 'Jun' Tang
Jason O'Neill
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
9,736
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
12
Social presence
0
YouTube
74
Engagement
32
Host of Cures & Capital?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
